Sir Henry Cole, the visionary founding Director of the V&A, saw early on the potential of photography to dramatically extend the visual range of resources available to artists and students. While the Museum had its own photographic service and photographers, it also sourced photographs from independent professionals, including those working abroad. The British photographers Jane and Charles Clifford established a studio in Madrid in 1850 and worked under the patronage of Queen Isabel II of Spain and her court for many years. After the death of her husband, Jane Clifford solicited the Museum’s first chief curator, John Charles Robinson, for orders of photographs . On April 24 1865 she wrote:

‘I have obtained a Royal permission to copy the things in the armoury here and as you told me you would take collections if they were well done I now enclose you some specimens….’

Robinson replied favourably and the Museum made an initial purchase of 80 views taken at the Armeria Real (the Royal Armoury in Madrid). Some scholars have questioned the attribution of these armour photographs to Jane suggesting the possibility that Charles had photographed in the armoury before his death. Jane was known to have made prints from his existing negatives.