Carved and Gilt frame, Venetian, date about 1690, Mr. John Webb thumbnail 1
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
Request to view at the Prints & Drawings Study Room, room 512M , Case MX13A, Shelf X, Box 180

Carved and Gilt frame, Venetian, date about 1690, Mr. John Webb

Photograph
1853 (photographed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

In 1853, Charles Thurston Thompson, the first Official Photographer of the South Kensington Museum (later the V&A), was commissioned to photograph a loan exhibition of furniture at Gore House, London. It was the first of many photographic campaigns documenting temporary loan exhibitions that were to become a hallmark of the Museum's photographic service. Such loan objects were photographed prior to their return to lenders so that photographic copies could be sold to designers, craftsmen and students, and also filed in the Museum's library for study. Thompson inadvertently included himself and his camera, reflected in the mirror. It gives us a vivid glimpse of a photographer at work outdoors - in the garden at Gore House - in the early days of the Museum and the profession of Museum Photography.


Object details

Category
Object type
TitleCarved and Gilt frame, Venetian, date about 1690, Mr. John Webb (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Albumen print
Brief description
Photograph by Charles Thurston Thompson, 'Carved and Gilt frame, Venetian, date about 1690, Mr. John Webb' from the album Furniture Exhibited at Gore House, Vol. 2, albumen print, 1853
Physical description
A sepia-colured photograph of the top half of a ornately carved gilded mirror mounted with another photograph on a page in a bound 91 page album of 142 prints. In the reflection is visible a camera on a tripod and the operator of the camera. The National Art Library Stamp is visible upper centre of the page.
Dimensions
  • Album cover height: 57.9cm
  • Album cover width: 41cm
  • Album depth: 7cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'PHOTOGRAPHS / THURSTON THOMPSON / FURNITURE / CARVED METAL WORK / ETC. / II (gold printed title on spine of album)
  • 'Photographs / by / C. THURSTON THOMPSON / VOL. 2 / FURNITURE EXHID AT GORE HOUSE, 1853 / CARVED WOOD WORK. / METAL WORK. / ARMS AND ARMOUR.' (Printed title page of album)
  • '6' (faintly numbered in the upper right corner of print. This is the 6th print of 81 in the album in the section relating to furniture.)
Subjects depicted
Summary
In 1853, Charles Thurston Thompson, the first Official Photographer of the South Kensington Museum (later the V&A), was commissioned to photograph a loan exhibition of furniture at Gore House, London. It was the first of many photographic campaigns documenting temporary loan exhibitions that were to become a hallmark of the Museum's photographic service. Such loan objects were photographed prior to their return to lenders so that photographic copies could be sold to designers, craftsmen and students, and also filed in the Museum's library for study. Thompson inadvertently included himself and his camera, reflected in the mirror. It gives us a vivid glimpse of a photographer at work outdoors - in the garden at Gore House - in the early days of the Museum and the profession of Museum Photography.
Associated object
39:832 (Version)
Collection
Accession number
32639

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdJune 30, 2009
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest