Photography collection at the V&A redisplayed and online
April 2003

The V&A has recently opened a new photography gallery to showcase works from its world-renowned collection of contemporary and historic photography.

Begun as early as 1852, the V&A's collection contains truly iconic imagery ranging from early daguerreotype and calotype prints through to modern digital prints. Seminal photographers William Henry Fox Talbot, Eadweard Muybridge, Henri Cartier-Bresson and Cindy Sherman are among those whose work is featured.

Cognitive Applications has worked with the V&A to create an accompanying website and kiosk. As well as placing a selection of the 300,000 strong collection online, the site features: 'theme tours'; 'photographers' stories'; explanations of photographic processes and techniques and 'personal tours', in which individuals, from Radiohead's Colin Greenwood to year 7 school children, discuss their personal favourites.

The new photography gallery showcases around 50 outstanding photographs from the V&A collection on a rotating basis, showing pieces from the birth of photography in 1839 to the present day and illustrating a wide range of processes, techniques and imagery.

There is also a temporary display area, changing four times a year, presently showing the pioneering seascapes made in 1856-7 by the French artist Gustave Le Gray.

"The V&A was delighted to produce this website and kiosk with Cognitive Applications. The team at Cognitive Applications devised an effective technical solution coupled with an elegant design and implemented the project efficiently and on schedule. They accommodated the V&A's particular requirements and last minute refinements with professionalism and charm. Working with Cognitive Applications couldn't have been easier." Mark Hook, V&A web production manager