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Whenever I'm in London, I try to go to a museum or gallery. In fact, the Natural History and Science Museums in South Kensington are two of our favourite days out as a family. However, one place that doesn’t really work so well with my somewhat rambunctious boys, just on the opposite side of the road, is the Victoria and Albert Museum. So close, and yet so far.

Yesterday I was lucky enough to be in London on my own (okay, maybe not that lucky as I was there for a hospital appointment, but hey ho… silver linings and all that). Anyway, since I’d travelled an hour and a half for a 5-minute appointment, it seemed a shame to rush home, so I used it as an opportunity for a little “me” time.

Cameras from all Eras displayed at the V&A photographic Exhibition

The V&A opened their photography centre in October 2018, and there are preparations to double the space with a study centre, studio and dark room in 2022. I’m really excited to go back and visit once they open phase two, but for now I thought I’d tell you all about my visit.

Well first, I got lost [do not go up the lifts if you enter from the tunnels – ha ha]. Although this did provide an opportunity for me to walk around lots of other collections. I enjoyed viewing the paintings, sculptures, tapestries, jewellery, silver and gold. The theatre section was particularly colourful and fun. If you (or your slightly calmer children) go there are costumes that they can dress up in which is great fun, and there was a school doing exactly that as I walked through. I’d definitely say go with a plan if you visit, or, dedicate a whole day and stop for lunch in the beautiful courtyard garden – There’s so much to see.

Mark Cohen's dynamic street photography at the V&A

So, the photography… There are two main rooms and a real eclectic mix of photographic styles. I really enjoyed looking at some of the photographers working in the 1970s. Mark Cohen, known for his dynamic street photography presents a fragmented, sensory image of his hometown of Wilkes- Barre, Pennsylvania. This set of pictures was taken at a time when colour photography was just beginning to be recognised as a fine art. Until the 1970s, colour had largely been associated with either advertising or family snapshots, and was not thought of as a legitimate medium for artists. Cohen and other photographers like William Eggleston transformed this perception using the dye-transfer printing process. Although complicated and time consuming, the technique results in vibrant and high-quality colour prints.

Next to this was a small part of the 63 photographs by Linda McCartney that Paul McCartney and family gave to the photography centre. Linda won the accolade US Female Photographer of the Year in 1967 and in 1968 became the first female photographer to shoot the cover of Rolling Stone, later sitting for the front cover herself with her husband, Sir Paul McCartney.

The images span 40 years from the 1960s to 1990s, and includes portraits of The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and family snaps. The images donated include a broad range of the photographic processes and techniques used by the photographer, although only a small selection were showing. I’m sure they will rotate the collection over time.

Linda McCartneys photographic collection at the V&A

In the room next door, I saw the highlight of my visit, the astounding 3D stereoscopes. Stereoscopes gained international recognition at the Great Exhibition of 1851 at Crystal Palace, which was photographed by T. R. Williams for the London Stereoscopic Company.

“A Stereograph is composed of two pictures mounted next to each other, viewed with a set of lenses known as a stereoscope. Taken around 7cm apart, roughly corresponding to the spacing of the eyes, the left picture represents what the left eye would see, and likewise for the right, so when observing the pictures through a stereoscopic viewer, the pair of photographs converge into a single three-dimensional image.”

I was truly blown away by the depth and clarity of these images. I sat there for ages flicking through the 8 images on each of the machines. This is a must see if you haven’t seen them before. Just outstanding.

Stereograph of Crystal Palace the great exhibition

Before I left, I sat down in the dark tent room (which feels a bit like being inside a box camera with a concertina dividing wall). This room was showing short videos about historical photographic shooting and printing processes like Calotype which was patented by William Henry Fox Talbot in 1841. It was so interesting for someone, like me, who has grown up with film cameras, and then the digital age. Watching these videos really inspired me to maybe go and study a bit more about photographic origins and learn how to use some of these techniques myself. My Grandpa (whom I never met) was a photographer and used his own dark room – I hope me following in his footsteps would make him proud.

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by Joanne Lewis • 26 Nov, 2020

I couldn't let Black Friday 2020 go by without some amazing deals for my wonderful and valued customers... I've missed you all so much this year, but have loved the few shoots I was able to squeeze in between lockdowns and Home Education. With all the optimism I can muster for next year (I am naturally a pretty positive person) I am offering some spectacular deals on vouchers for my Hertford Studio and outdoor or on-location sessions next year (packages may be given as gifts, but please confirm preferred locations around Hertfordshire and some parts of London, Cambridgeshire and Essex with me before booking).