English Wedding Bonnet, Victoria & Albert Museum
Photograph
1931 (made)
1931 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Emil Otto Hoppé was one of the most active art and documentary photographers of his time. Born in Munich, Hoppé moved to London in his early 20s where he began to exhibit as an amateur photographer. He opened his first photography studio in 1907, expanding to a larger studio by 1911. Hoppé became a renowned portrait photographer. His sitters included many luminary personalities from the arts, literature, and politics such as George Bernard Shaw, Thomas Hardy, T.S. Eliot, Vaslav Nijinsky, Queen Mary, King George, and other members of the Royal Family. Hoppé was also known as a talented landscape and travel photographer. He journeyed across Britain and Ireland to study people from all walks of life, but also as far as Cuba, Sri Lanka and New Zealand to expand his body of work. This collecton of 80 photographs depict London in the 1920s and 30s, including famous landmarks such as Big Ben, St Pauls Cathedral and boats on the river Thames. There are also snapshots of day to day life in the city, often captured by Hoppé with a mix of poignancy and humour. A large portion of the pictures depict the V&A, such as cleaners in the galleries, a blind winder, the 1930s equivalent of ‘Opinions’ afternoons, and lectures. There are also images of the Natural History Museum and the Royal College of Art.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Title | English Wedding Bonnet, Victoria & Albert Museum (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Gelatin silver print |
| Brief description | Photograph by Emil Otto Hoppé of English Wedding Bonnet, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 1931 |
| Physical description | Photograph depicts a cleaner sweeping stairs at the Victoria and Albert Museum. In the centre of the frame a cleaner stands wearing a dark suit and cap, with broom. In the foreground are five white marble steps, behind him are nine white marble steps, possibly the staircase on the left or right of the Grand Entrance to the Museum. There is a bucket on the right, a large marble vase on the left of the photograph and three marble busts on plinths in the background of the photograph. On the reverse of the photograph is written 'London,' Cleaning of Natural History Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum,' The words Natural History are crossed out also are the numbers '19669-6.' |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label | Photography Centre 2018-20:
Emil Otto Hoppé (1878–1972)
Staff and Visitors at the Victoria and Albert Museum
1931
These photographs show museum life in full swing at the V&A almost a century ago. The images include: a cleaner dusting a 16th-century marble statue of the Greek hero Jason, a troop of men in uniform cleaning the floors, women in fur coats bringing ceramics to a curator for assessment, and avid listeners filling a lecture room.
Gelatin silver print
Given by the American Friends of the V&A through the generosity of Graham Howe
Museum nos. LOAN:AMERICANFRIENDS.720:43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 49, 50, 51, 52, 54, 56, 57, 59-2017 |
| Credit line | Gift of the American Friends of the V&A |
| Place depicted | |
| Summary | Emil Otto Hoppé was one of the most active art and documentary photographers of his time. Born in Munich, Hoppé moved to London in his early 20s where he began to exhibit as an amateur photographer. He opened his first photography studio in 1907, expanding to a larger studio by 1911. Hoppé became a renowned portrait photographer. His sitters included many luminary personalities from the arts, literature, and politics such as George Bernard Shaw, Thomas Hardy, T.S. Eliot, Vaslav Nijinsky, Queen Mary, King George, and other members of the Royal Family. Hoppé was also known as a talented landscape and travel photographer. He journeyed across Britain and Ireland to study people from all walks of life, but also as far as Cuba, Sri Lanka and New Zealand to expand his body of work. This collecton of 80 photographs depict London in the 1920s and 30s, including famous landmarks such as Big Ben, St Pauls Cathedral and boats on the river Thames. There are also snapshots of day to day life in the city, often captured by Hoppé with a mix of poignancy and humour. A large portion of the pictures depict the V&A, such as cleaners in the galleries, a blind winder, the 1930s equivalent of ‘Opinions’ afternoons, and lectures. There are also images of the Natural History Museum and the Royal College of Art. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | PH.280-2021 |
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| Record created | March 16, 2018 |
| Record URL |
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