The photo collection is one of the largest and most
important in Great Britain and traces the technical
and aesthetic developments of photography from the
earliest experiments in the 1830s to examples of con-
temporary practice across many genres and applica-
tions of the medium. The collection also features
concentration in documentary advertising, and ama-
teur photography. Highlights include important
works by international twentieth century masters,
including Lewis Hine, Edward Steichen, Alfred Stie-
glitz, Man Ray, La ́szlo ́ Moholy-Nagy, Bill Brandt,
Ansel Adams, Brassaı ̈, Margaret Bourke-White,
Robert Capa, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Giselle Freund,
Yousuf Karsh, and Weegee. Works of the postwar
generation, many emerging in the 1980s, include
Richard Billingham, Chris Killip, Chris Steele Per-
kins, Martin Parr, Cornelia Parker. and Jo Spence.
Other important holdings are the Zolta ́nGlass
archive (10,000 negatives) and the archive of The
Daily Herald. This archive, which represents a
remarkable picture of British social life from 1912
to the 1960s, consists of over 2,500,000 prints and
100,000 negatives and contains many photographs
from agencies such as Associated Press, Planet
News, U.P.I., and the Press Association. A 1999
renovation updated the museum facilities to provide
one of the most technologically sophisticated exhibi-
tion spaces in Europe, offering interactive displays,
learning laboratories, and a wealth of on-line materi-
als as well as permanent and changing exhibitions,
workshops, and lectures.
http://www.nmpft.org.uk
National Portrait Gallery (NPG), London
The museum was founded in 1856 to provide a
repository of historical portraits in all mediums
regardless of the artistic quality of the portrait. Col-
lecting was sporadic in the area of photography with
the National Photographic Record (NPR), which
began in 1917 the most significant means of acquisi-
tion. In the 1970s, under the directorship of Roy
Strong, photography became a more integral part
of NPG’s activities with the founding of a depart-
ment of photography and film. Attendance to a 1968
exhibition of Cecil Beaton was significant, and
served to spur collecting of more contemporary
materials. Holdings include approximately 160,000
photographs, with approximately 9,000 prints from
the NPR (1917–1970); the Benjamin Stone collection
of Members of Parliament and visitors to the House
of Commons between 1897–1906; the Howard
Coster Collection; the Elliott and Fry Studio collec-
tion of 20,000 negatives and prints; the Ida Kar
Collection of writers and artists; the Cecil Beaton
Collection of over 1,200 prints; the Dorothy Wilding
Collection of 710 prints of celebrities and royals; and
the Angus McBean Collection of 113 prints. Gener-
ally one large photographic exhibition is held each
year with changing permanent displays. Extensive
education and research facilities, conservation lab-
oratories, and on-line services are also offered.
http://www.npg.org.ukThe Royal Photographic Society, Bath
Formed in 1853 with Queen Victoria and Prince
Albert as patrons, it was granted the use of the title
‘‘Royal’’ by decree in 1894. The Society’s mission
today, as in 1853, is ‘‘to promote the Art and Science
of Photography.’’ Membership is open to everyone
with an interest in photography. The Society is cur-
rently located at The Octagon, Bath, which houses
the Society’s offices and its internationally important
collection. The Society’s famous collection is part of
Britain’s national heritage. It includes over 150,000
photographs, books, items of equipment, and other
unique material from 1827 to the present day. The
collection covers the whole evolution of photogra-
phy and the variety of photographic processes. There
are also modern classics by Edward Weston, Ansel
Adams, and Yousuf Karsh and a steadily growing
emphasis on the work of contemporary photogra-
phers. Material by the Secessionist photographers,
including Alvin Langdon Coburn, Edward Steichen,
and Alfred Stieglitz is strong, as is the history of
early colour photography. RPS mounts an extensive
series of workshops, master classes, lectures, courses,
conferences, meetings, field trips, seminars, public
darkroom, and photo competitions.
http://www.rps.orgImperial War Museum, Photograph Archive,
London
Containing over 6 million images, the Photograph
Archive is a rich source of material on the two world
wars with photographs by Bill Brandt, Bert Hardy,
and Cecil Beaton among others. Its coverage spans the
entire twentieth century and is international in scope.
The impact of war on civilians and the contribution of
Commonwealth countries are documented in depth;
other nations are also included. More recent material
shows the British Army’s international contribution to
NATO and humanitarian relief efforts.
http://www.iwm.org.ukThe Tate, London
Photographs as part of contemporary art have
been acquired since 1972. The several hundredMUSEUMS: EUROPE