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Silver-gilt Plateau, Royal Palace of Ajuda, Lisbon
Thompson, Charles Thurston, born 1816 - died 1868 - Enlarge image
Silver-gilt Plateau, Royal Palace of Ajuda, Lisbon
- Object:
Photograph
- Place of origin:
Lisbon (photographed)
- Date:
1866 (photographed)
- Artist/Maker:
Thompson, Charles Thurston, born 1816 - died 1868 (photographer)
South Kensington Museum (commissioned by) - Materials and Techniques:
Albumen print
- Museum number:
58432
- Gallery location:
Prints & Drawings Study Room, room 512M, case MX13B, shelf X, box 362
Sir Henry Cole, the first director of South Kensington Museum (now the V&A) understood the importance of photography as an extension of the resources of the Museum. He saw a role for photography in terms of documenting and promoting the Museum’s collection, as well as a tool for art education. In 1856, When Cole appointed his brother-in-law, Charles Thurston Thompson, as Museum Photographer, the first museum photographic service was born.
Under Cole’s direction, the Museum sourced photographs from a wide range of suppliers and sponsored photographic campaigns abroad. In 1866, Thurston Thompson traveled to Iberia armed with a registry of desirable items for photographing. Included among the list were objects from the collections of the Royal Palaces in Lisbon. The lack of contextuality of these photographs points to Thurston Thompson’s belief in his role as a documentary photographer.
