Dimbola Museum and Galleries facts for kids
Dimbola Lodge
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| Location | Freshwater, Isle of Wight |
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The Dimbola Museum and Galleries is a special place on the Isle of Wight. It used to be the home of a famous photographer named Julia Margaret Cameron. She was a pioneer in photography during the Victorian era and lived there from 1860 to 1875. Today, a group called the Julia Margaret Cameron Trust, which is a charity, owns and runs the museum.
History of Dimbola
In 1860, Julia Margaret Cameron bought two small houses next to each other. They were in Freshwater Bay and she bought them from a local fisherman. To make the houses look nicer, especially for her friends coming back from the beach, she had them joined together. A central tower was added in the popular Gothic style of that time. This new building stood out in the area and became a landmark in Freshwater Bay.
The name "Dimbola" came from her family's coffee plantation. This plantation was in a place called Dimbula in Ceylon, which is now known as Sri Lanka. Dimbola was both Julia Margaret Cameron's home and her photography studio. Many of her most famous photographs were taken right here.
After the Cameron family moved back to Ceylon, the property was split into two parts again. These parts were later named Dimbola and were used as private homes and holiday apartments. In 1991, a company bought the building, which was then called 'Cameron House'. They planned to knock it down. However, the Julia Margaret Cameron Trust was quickly formed. Their main goal was to save the house, and they succeeded three years later.
Today, Dimbola is a museum and art galleries. It celebrates Julia Margaret Cameron's life and her amazing photography work. The museum also has a special exhibit about the Isle of Wight Festival 1970. This famous music festival took place nearby at Afton Down. The galleries also show new exhibitions by modern photographers. Famous photographers like Annie Leibovitz, Chris Packham, and Terry O'Neill have shown their work here.
In 2006, a statue honoring the musician Jimi Hendrix was put up at Dimbola. It faces towards Afton Down, where he performed at the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival.
More to Explore
- List of museums devoted to one photographer
