National Photographic Record and Survey thumbnail 1
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
Request to view at the Prints & Drawings Study Room, room 512M , Case MX22, Shelf 5, Box 82D

National Photographic Record and Survey

Photograph
1902 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Sir Benjamin Stone and George Scamell photographed the desolate Newgate Prison before its demolition in 1904. It had been considered the cradle of female prison reform since the visit of philanthropist Elizabeth Fry in 1813. The drive to record for posterity was the impetus for the National Photographic Record Association initiated by Sir Benjamin Stone in 1897. A prolific photographer and Conservative MP for Birmingham, Stone enlisted a network of local camera club members to document, county by county, what they saw as Britain’s heritage threatened by modernisation: ancient buildings and the survivals of local ceremonies, customs and traditions. The platinum printing process was chosen for the project because of its superior tonal range and permanence. The Association deposited prints as they were made at the British Museum. The collection of around 5,000 photographs remained there until the year 2000, when it was transferred to the V&A.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Titles
  • National Photographic Record and Survey (series title)
  • Prison Yard, Newgate Prison (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
platinum print mounted on card with hand written ink notation
Brief description
Photograph of prison yard, Newgate Prison, London, Benjamin Stone, 1902
Physical description
b&w print of courtyard and tall building with barred windows
Dimensions
  • Image height: 155mm
  • Image width: 203mm
  • Board height: 274mm
  • Board width: 355mm
Marks and inscriptions
Front: 'S. Benjamin Stone. The Execution Shed. Prison Yard. Newgate. 1902' On the back a label from the British Museum filled out in ink: 'Subject: Newgate Prison Date: 1902 County: Contributor: Sir Benjamin Stone MP Address: The Grange Erdington Remarks: 915 (S.B.S. 14190)' Back is stamped: 'British Museum 1903 3 26 161'
Gallery label
  • These London scenes were part of the National Photographic Record and Survey (1897–1910), a project to create a national memory bank of Britain’s ancient and local customs, ceremonies and buildings. The National Photographic Record Association was founded in 1897 by politician and amateur photographer Sir Benjamin Stone. He enlisted supporters from local camera clubs to help form an archive of over 5,000 prints.(28-04-2015)
  • In their quest to record Britain’s heritage, the members of the National Photographic Record Association did not hesitate to include more sinister subjects. Benjamin Stone and George Scamell photographed the desolate Newgate Prison, in the City of London, shortly before its demolition. It had been considered the cradle of female prison reform since the visit of philanthropist Elizabeth Fry in 1813.(28-04-2015)
Credit line
Transferred from the British Museum
Association
Summary
Sir Benjamin Stone and George Scamell photographed the desolate Newgate Prison before its demolition in 1904. It had been considered the cradle of female prison reform since the visit of philanthropist Elizabeth Fry in 1813. The drive to record for posterity was the impetus for the National Photographic Record Association initiated by Sir Benjamin Stone in 1897. A prolific photographer and Conservative MP for Birmingham, Stone enlisted a network of local camera club members to document, county by county, what they saw as Britain’s heritage threatened by modernisation: ancient buildings and the survivals of local ceremonies, customs and traditions. The platinum printing process was chosen for the project because of its superior tonal range and permanence. The Association deposited prints as they were made at the British Museum. The collection of around 5,000 photographs remained there until the year 2000, when it was transferred to the V&A.
Bibliographic reference
Elizabeth Edwards, Peter James and Martin Barnes. A Record of England. Sir Benjamin Stone & The National Photographic Record Association 1897-1910, Dewi Lewis Publishing, 2006
Other number
1903 3 26 161 - British Museum number
Collection
Accession number
E.3392-2000

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Record createdJanuary 23, 2001
Record URL
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