Image of Gallery in South Kensington
Request to view at the Prints & Drawings Study Room, level D , Case FF, Shelf 18

Plan for Exhibition arrangement at South Kensington

Design
1854-1905 (made)
Artist/Maker
Hackett (architect)
Place of origin
London (made)

Photographs and photographers were present from the very beginning of the V&A's history and the Museum has an extensive collection of images from the 1850s through to the present which documents the construction and development of the V&A and the South Kensington site.

Originally collected by the National Art Library as part of a programme to record works of art, architecture and design in the interest of public education, these topographic and architectural views were valued as records and as source material for students of architecture and design. As well as being crucial records of the history of the V&A, and an important element within the National Art Library's visual encyclopaedia, these photographs are also significant artefacts in the history of the art of photography.


Object details

Categories
Architecture
History of the V&A
Designs
Object type
Design
TitlePlan for Exhibition arrangement at South Kensington (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
printer's ink, paper, photomechanical print
Printer's Ink
Paper
Ink
Hand Written
Photomechanical
Brief description
'Plan for Exhibition arrangement at South Kensington'. One of 24 early photomechanical prints of a drawing by John Hackett, dated 20th February 1854. Print probably later in date, c. late 19th century, British
Physical description
Early photomechanical print on paper of an architectural plan
Dimensions
  • Height: 45.7cm
  • Width: 37cm
Production typeDesign
Marks and inscriptions
  • PRINCIPLES SUGGESTED AS NECESSARY TO BE RECOGNISED IN LAYING OUT A GROUND PLAN AT KENSINGTON I. That the Building be so laid out as to be capable of being extended or portions only erected from time to time, without disturbance to general arrangements and effect. II. That as the Museums demand special arrangements for safe custodyship, security from Fire &c, it is desirable they should be concentrated xxxx as much as possible in one spot. III. That convenient means of communication under cover by Arcades &c between all the Public Buildings and offices be provided so as to afford the greatest facility for the use of objects in the Museums, for Lectures and Illustrations in Teaching in Classrooms & Theatres. IV. That the National and other Public Galleries be between the East and West Roads and have a clear frontage to the North and South. V. That with the view of preserving to the Commissioners perfect freedom in extending the Buildings as occasion may demand and also of reserving the valuable right of overlooking the grounds, it is desirable that the chief quadrangular areas be enclosed by Buildings under their control. VI. That as the extent of the purchases of ground at the North cannot at present be determined, the treatment of the ground to the North of the National Gallery be left for future consideration. VII. That the ground plans for the South front, which is wholly under the Commissioners control, be laid out as a complete arrangement. VIII. That besides the substantial Buildings provision be made for covering large areas with glass to serve as space for occasional Exhibitions, without disturbance of the general arrangement. IX. In the Galleries A.B. the centre only or the whole frontage only might be built and the divisions inserted afterwards. (Notes surrounding the central plan. Hand written on original, of which this is a copy.)
  • London: Exhibitions. Plan for Exhibitions arrangement at South Kensington (Hand written in lower left corner of original, of which this is a copy.)
  • Architecture, England (Hand written in top left corner of original, of which this is a copy.)
  • IIaa (Hand written in centre of top edge of original, of which this is a copy.)
  • B (Handwritten in top right hand corner of original, of which this is a copy.)
  • 20 Feb : 1854 Submitted by Mr Cole & Mr Redgrave (Hand written on lower right hand side of original, of which this is a copy.)
  • Drawn by John Hackett (Hand written in lower right hand corner of original, of which this is a copy. )
  • Note. The dotted portion refers to the S. Kensington Museum & Buildings (Hand written on lower right hand side of original, of which this is a copy)
Credit line
Presented by F. Fowkes, 5 September 1905
Subjects depicted
Exhibitions
Columns
Arches
Plans (Drawings)
Great Exhibition
Place depicted
South Kensington
Association
London International Exhibition, 1862
Summary
Photographs and photographers were present from the very beginning of the V&A's history and the Museum has an extensive collection of images from the 1850s through to the present which documents the construction and development of the V&A and the South Kensington site.

Originally collected by the National Art Library as part of a programme to record works of art, architecture and design in the interest of public education, these topographic and architectural views were valued as records and as source material for students of architecture and design. As well as being crucial records of the history of the V&A, and an important element within the National Art Library's visual encyclopaedia, these photographs are also significant artefacts in the history of the art of photography.
Collection
Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection
Accession number
PH.2263-1905

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Record createdOctober 5, 2017
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1415148/plan-for-exhibition-arrangement-at-design-hackett/
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