Carved and Gilt frame, Venetian, date about 1690
Photograph
1853 (photographed)
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 | |
| Title | Carved and Gilt frame, Venetian, date about 1690 (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Albumen print |
| Brief description | Photograph by Charles Thurston Thompson, 'Carved and Gilt frame, Venetian, date about 1690, albumen print, 1853 |
| Physical description | A sepia-colured photograph of the top half of a ornately carved gilded mirror mounted. In the reflection is visible a camera on a tripod and the operator of the camera. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Marks and inscriptions |
|
| Gallery label | Cast Courts Reinstallation, 27 November 2018
1. FACSIMILE PHOTOGRAPH OF
'Mirror Frame. Carved And Gilt, Venetian,
Date About 1690'
Charles Thurston Thompson, 1853
Charles Thurston Thompson was one of the world's earliest museum photographers. Henry Cole, the first director of the South Kensington Museum, appointed him officially in 1856, although he had already been working for the Museum for several years. Here Thurston Thompson's accidental reflection appears in a mirror belonging to the collector, John Webb. Thurston Thompson photographed the mirror while documenting a loan exhibition of furniture at Gore House, Kensington, in 1853.
REPRODUCED FROM
Albumen print
Kensington, London
Museum no. 33588(27 November 2018) |
| 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 objects | |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 33588 |
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
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | November 25, 2013 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest
