V&A Photography Centre Opens in London with Seven Galleries

The Victoria and Albert Museum in London will open its new Photography Centre on May 25, 2023, featuring seven galleries dedicated to its vast photography collection. The centre spans over 1,000 square meters in the museum's northeast wing, with rooms 95, 96, 97, and 98 restored from former storage and student spaces. The project, designed by Purcell and Gibson Thornley, reveals original vaulted ceilings and arched wooden panels covered in jute fabric. Room 95, previously a large closet, now houses a darkroom for workshops. The V&A's photography collection includes 800,000 items—one of the world's largest—encompassing prints, negatives, equipment, and books. Highlights include a 1953 portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. The museum also launched the Women in Photography project in 2021, curated by Fiona Rogers and funded by San Francisco philanthropist Ruth Monicka Parasol, aiming to address gender imbalances. The inaugural exhibition traces photography from the 19th century to today, with a focus on collecting.