Victoria and Albert Museum facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Victoria and Albert Museum

Logo introduced in 1989
The museum's main entrance
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Former name	Museum of Manufactures, South Kensington Museum
Established	1852; 173 years ago (1852)
Location	Cromwell Road, Kensington and Chelsea, London, SW7
Type	Art museum
Collection size	2,278,183 items in 145 galleries
Visitors	3,110,000 (2023)
Owner	Non-departmental public body of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
Public transit access	South Kensington Kensington Museums 360 Victoria & Albert Museum 14, 74, 414, C1

The Victoria and Albert Museum (or V&A) in London is the world's biggest museum of applied arts, decorative arts, and design. It holds a huge collection of over 2.27 million objects. The museum started in 1852. It was named after Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

The V&A is in Kensington and Chelsea, London. This area is sometimes called "Albertopolis" because of Prince Albert's connection to many cultural places there. These include the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum. The V&A is supported by the UK government. Like other national British museums, it is free to enter.

The museum covers about 12.5 acres and has 145 galleries. Its collection shows 5,000 years of art and design. Objects come from Europe, North America, Asia, and North Africa. The V&A has some of the world's largest collections. These include ceramics, glass, textiles, costumes, silver, ironwork, and furniture. It also has medieval objects, sculptures, prints, drawings, and photographs.

The V&A has the world's largest collection of sculpture made after ancient times. Its collection of Italian Renaissance items is the biggest outside Italy. The Asian departments feature art from South Asia, China, Japan, Korea, and the Islamic world. The East Asian collections are among the best in Europe. The Islamic collection is one of the largest in the Western world.

Since 2001, the museum has been working on a big renovation project. New European galleries opened in 2015. These show collections from 1600 to 1815. The Young V&A in east London is a branch of the museum. A new branch, V&A East, is also being planned. The first V&A museum outside London, V&A Dundee, opened in 2018.

Museum History

How the V&A Started

Henry Cole, the V&A's first director

A detailed carving from the courtyard showing Queen Victoria

The Victoria and Albert Museum began after the Great Exhibition of 1851. Henry Cole was the museum's first director. He helped plan the museum. At first, it was called the Museum of Manufactures. It first opened to the public in May 1852. The collections were moved to Somerset House later that year. The museum collected both applied art and science items. Many exhibits from the Great Exhibition were bought to start the V&A's collection.

By 1854, talks began to move the museum to its current spot. It was renamed the South Kensington Museum. In 1857, the museum opened officially. Queen Victoria herself opened it. The V&A was the first museum to offer food and drinks to its visitors. It was also the first to stay open late, using gas lighting. This was so working people could visit after their jobs. The museum wanted to teach people and help industries grow.

The museum focused on practical art. It was different from the "High Art" at the National Gallery. The School of Design, started in 1837, moved to the museum. It later became the Royal College of Art. In the 1860s, the science collections moved to a separate area. By 1893, the "Science Museum" became its own place.

Old Houses on Site of Victoria and Albert Museum in 1899

Queen Victoria laid the foundation stone for a new building in 1899. At this event, the museum's name changed to 'Victoria and Albert Museum'. Queen Victoria said she hoped it would be a "Monument of discerning Liberality and a Source of Refinement and Progress."

The Museum in the 1900s

An 11-meter glass chandelier by Dale Chihuly in the V&A's main entrance

The new Aston Webb building opened in 1909. King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra were there. In 1914, the Science Museum began construction. This made the art and science collections completely separate.

During World War II, most of the V&A's collection was moved to safe places. Some galleries were used as a school for children from Gibraltar. After the war, in 1946, the "Britain Can Make It" exhibition was held. It attracted nearly 1.5 million visitors. Most of the collections returned to the museum by 1948.

V&A Since 1950

In 1973, the V&A held the first rock concert in a British museum. This was part of a plan to attract young people. The band Gryphon played and talked about medieval music. This idea was copied by other museums.

In 2001, the museum started a big renovation called "FuturePlan." This plan aims to update all galleries and public areas. It will make exhibits better and improve visitor access. A new entrance and courtyard opened in 2017. This added 6,400 square meters of space. It was the biggest expansion in over 100 years.

In 2018, the Duchess of Cambridge became the museum's first royal patron. Also in 2018, V&A Dundee opened in Scotland. It focuses on Scottish design. The V&A also runs the Young V&A in east London.

Museum Architecture

The Ceramic Staircase, designed by Frank Moody

The V&A building has a long and complex history. It grew with many additions by different architects. The museum moved to its current site in 1857. This area was known as 'South Kensington'. The first building still part of the museum was the Sheepshanks Gallery in 1857. It was designed by Captain Francis Fowke.

Fowke also designed other galleries, like the Turner and Vernon galleries. These are now used for pictures and tapestries. The North and South Courts opened in 1862. They are now used for temporary exhibitions. Fowke also designed the refreshment rooms, which are now the Museum Café. The ceramic staircase in the northwest corner is famous for its colorful pottery details.

The mosaic on the North Façade, designed by Godfrey Sykes

The North Façade was meant to be the main entrance. Its bronze doors show famous figures like Isaac Newton and Michelangelo. Godfrey Sykes designed the mosaic on the pediment. It celebrates the Great Exhibition.

The museum's main front, designed by Aston Webb, was built from 1899 to 1909. It stretches 720 meters along Cromwell Gardens. The main entrance has shallow arches and slender columns. The tower above the entrance has a crown and a statue of fame. The windows are decorated with statues of British artists.

Post-War Changes

Bomb damage on the Exhibition Road side of the museum

The museum had only minor bomb damage during World War II. The stained glass on the Ceramics Staircase was lost. After the war, there was little money for big projects. New storage for books was added in 1966. In the 1970s, new galleries for European art opened.

Recent Years

Several galleries were redesigned in the 1990s and 2000s. These included the Indian, Japanese, and Chinese galleries. The "FuturePlan" aims to redesign all galleries. This project started in 2002. Many designers and architects have worked on it.

Museum Garden

The John Madejski Garden, opened in 2005

The central garden was redesigned in 2005. It is now called the John Madejski Garden. It has a formal design with an oval water feature. This area can be drained for events. Paths and lawns lead to the sculpture gallery. The garden is used for temporary sculpture exhibits. It also hosts the V&A Village Fete each year.

Exhibition Road Quarter

New entrance and courtyard on Exhibition Road, opened 2017

The Exhibition Road Quarter opened in 2017. It has a new entrance from Exhibition Road. A new courtyard, the Sackler Courtyard, was created. It is the world's first all-porcelain courtyard. It has 11,000 handmade porcelain tiles. A new underground gallery, the Sainsbury Gallery, provides a large space for temporary exhibitions.

Museum Collections

The V&A's collections are very diverse. They try not to overlap too much with other London museums. For example, ancient art is mostly at the British Museum. Western paintings are usually at the National Gallery. But the V&A has the main national collection of painted portrait miniatures.

The museum has four main departments: Decorative Art and Sculpture; Performance, Furniture, Textiles and Fashion; Art, Architecture, Photography and Design; and Asia. These departments care for the objects. They also allow public and scholars to see items not on display.

The collection has over 6.5 million objects. Not all are displayed at the V&A. Some are stored at Blythe House. The museum also lends items to other places.

The museum has 145 galleries. Only a small part of the huge collection is on display. Many new items are bought with help from the National Art Collections Fund.

Asian Art Collection

Tilework Chimneypiece from Turkey, 1731

The V&A has over 160,000 objects from Asia. This is one of the largest collections in the world. It includes Chinese art, and the most important collection of South Asian art in the West. The museum covers items from South and South East Asia, the Himalayas, China, Japan, Korea, and the Islamic world.

Islamic Art

The V&A has over 19,000 items from the Islamic world. They range from the 7th to the early 20th century. The Jameel Gallery of Islamic Art opened in 2006. It shows 400 objects. A highlight is the Ardabil Carpet. The gallery displays items from Spain, North Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia. A 10th-century Rock crystal ewer is a masterpiece. Many beautiful Qur'āns are on display. There are also many examples of Iznik pottery, glasswork, and metalwork. The collection of Middle Eastern and Persian rugs is among the best in the world.

South Asian Art

Wine cup of Shah Jahan.

The museum's South and South-East Asian art collections are very important. They have nearly 60,000 objects. This includes about 10,000 textiles and 6,000 paintings. The Jawaharlal Nehru gallery of Indian art opened in 1991. It has art from about 500 BC to the 19th century. There are many sculptures, mostly religious. The gallery has rich art from the Mughal Empire and the Maratha Empire. This includes portraits, jade wine cups, and gold spoons. India was known for textiles like dyed cotton chintz and rich embroidery. In 1879, items from the East India Company's India Museum were moved to the V&A. These include Tipu's Tiger, an 18th-century automaton. The personal wine cup of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan is also on display.

East Asian Art

The Far Eastern collections have over 70,000 artworks. They come from China, Japan, and Korea. The T. T. Tsui Gallery of Chinese art opened in 1991. It shows about 16,000 objects from China. These date from 4000 BC to today. Many artworks are from the Ming and Qing dynasties. Older objects include a bronze head of the Buddha from about 750 AD. A 2000-year-old jade horse head is one of the oldest items. The collection also has lacquer, silk, porcelain, jade, and cloisonné enamel.

The Toshiba gallery of Japanese art opened in 1986. Most exhibits are from 1550 to 1900. One old piece is a 13th-century sculpture of Amida Nyorai. The collection includes Japanese armor, steel sword blades (Katana), and lacquerware. The Mazarin Chest, from about 1640, is a fine example. There are also woodblock prints by Andō Hiroshige.

Smaller galleries cover Korea, the Himalayan kingdoms, and South East Asia. Korean displays have green-glazed ceramics and silk embroideries. Himalayan items include bronze sculptures and embroidery. Tibetan art from the 14th to 19th century is also shown. Art from Thailand, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka is in gold, silver, bronze, and ivory.

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  Bodhisattva Maitreya, Pakistan, 2nd-4th century AD

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  Image depicting Lord Parshvanatha, India, 7th Century

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  Image depicting Lord Rishabhanatha dated 9th century, India

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  10th-century, Rock crystal ewer

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  Japanese Incense Burner, 1877

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  Betel container, 19th century, Burma

Books and Library

The museum has the National Art Library. It is a public library with over 750,000 books, photos, drawings, paintings, and prints. It is one of the world's largest libraries for fine and decorative arts. The library covers all areas of the museum's collections. It has special collections of illuminated manuscripts and rare books.

One of the library's treasures is the Codex Forster. This is one of Leonardo da Vinci's notebooks. It has sketches and notes from 1490 to 1505. The library also has papers from writers like Charles Dickens and Beatrix Potter. The Beatrix Potter collection is the largest in the world.

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  BLW Manuscript Book of Hours, about 1480–1490

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  BLW Qur'an

British Galleries

These fifteen galleries opened in 2001. They have about 4,000 items. The displays focus on "Style," "Who Led Taste," and "What Was New." They cover the period from 1500 to 1900. This includes the Tudor, Stuart, Georgian, and Victorian eras.

The galleries show works by British artists and craftspeople. They also display European art bought by British people. Imports from Asia, like porcelain and wallpaper, are also included. Famous designers like Thomas Chippendale and William Morris are featured.

The galleries also show how design connects to British culture. For example, in the Tudor period, printed books influenced design. In the Stuart period, trade with Asia brought new luxuries. The Industrial Revolution led to mass production. The Arts and Crafts movement later reacted against industrialization.

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  Henry VIII's writing box

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  Howard Grace Cup

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  Great Bed of Ware, one of the largest beds in the world

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  Norfolk House Music Room

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  Wedgwood Portland Vase

Cast Courts

The Cast Courts are a dramatic part of the museum. They are two large, skylighted rooms. They hold hundreds of plaster casts of sculptures and tombs. One room has a full-size copy of Trajan's Column, cut in half to fit. The other has copies of Italian Renaissance sculptures. This includes a full-size copy of Michelangelo's David.

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  Room 46b; Cast Court—Plaster Cast of "Porta Magna" of San Petronio Basilica, Bologna

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  Room 46a; Cast Court—Plaster Cast of the 'Pórtico da Gloria' in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela

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  Cast Court—Plaster copy of Trajan's Column

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  Cast Court after 2014 restoration

Ceramics and Glass Collection

Part of the reserve collection of European ceramics

This is the world's largest collection of ceramics and glass. It has over 80,000 objects from all over the world. Much of the top floor is dedicated to ceramics. It shows both displayed items and "visible storage" of the reserve collection.

The collection includes Meissen porcelain, the first porcelain made in Europe. It also has many items from the Manufacture nationale de Sèvres. The V&A has the largest collection of 18th-century British porcelain. Famous potters like Josiah Wedgwood are also represented. The collection of Iznik pottery from Turkey is the largest in the world.

The glass collection covers 4000 years of glassmaking. It has over 6000 items from many continents. The earliest glass is from Ancient Egypt. It continues through Roman, Medieval, and Renaissance periods. This includes Venetian glass and Bohemian glass. The stained glass collection is one of the finest in the world. One spectacular item is the V&A Rotunda Chandelier by Dale Chihuly.

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  Maiolica dish, Urbino, 1546

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  Flower pyramid, Delft, 1695

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  Porcelain figure of a goat, Meissen, 1732

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  Jardinière (plant pot), Vincennes porcelain, France; 1750–53

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  The Luck of Edenhall, glass beaker, Syria, 13th century

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  Stained glass panel, Germany, 1540–42

Fashion Collection

The costume collection is the most complete in Britain. It has over 14,000 outfits and accessories. Most date from 1600 to today. The collection focuses on fashionable clothes for special events. One of the oldest items is medieval vestments. The wedding suit of James II of England is also very important.

In 1971, Cecil Beaton organized an exhibition of 20th-century high fashion. He later donated many items to the museum. Since 1999, the V&A has held "Fashion in Motion" events. These are live catwalk shows featuring historical fashion. Designers like Alexander McQueen and Jean Paul Gaultier have been featured.

In 2002, the museum bought 178 Vivienne Westwood costumes. Other famous designers in the collection include Coco Chanel, Christian Dior, and Yves Saint Laurent. The museum continues to collect modern fashion. The V&A also works to preserve textiles and dresses.

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  1770s sack-back gown

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  1870 wedding dress

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  1912 Lucile evening dress

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  1954 Dior evening gown called 'Zemire'

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  "Mantua gown made from an ivory silk brocaded in a pattern of stylised flowers and leaves."

The V&A Museum has a large collection of about 2,000 pairs of shoes. They come from different cultures and times. The collection shows how shoe styles have changed over centuries.

Furniture Collection

In 2012, the museum opened its first gallery just for furniture. Before this, furniture was shown as part of period rooms. The new gallery highlights furniture design and how it was made. Designers like Ron Arad and Frank Lloyd Wright are featured.

The furniture collection mainly covers Europe and America. It is mostly British furniture from 1700 to 1900. Many top pieces are in the British Galleries. These include works by Chippendale and Morris. One of the oldest items is a chair leg from Middle Egypt, dated 200-395 AD.

The collection also has complete rooms, musical instruments, and clocks. The Boudoir of Madame de Sévilly from Paris (1781–82) is one example. Frank Lloyd Wright's Kaufmann Office (1934–37) is another. The museum also has the national collection of wallpaper.

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  Baumhauer, Joseph—Commode, French, 1760–65

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  The Evelyn Cabinet—Italy, 1644–46

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  Cabinet on stand, German, 1580

Jewellery Collection

Jewellery gallery

The museum's jewellery collection has over 6,000 items. It is one of the world's best collections. It includes pieces from Ancient Egypt to today. There are also jewellery designs on paper. The museum owns pieces by famous jewellers like Cartier and Lalique.

Other items include diamond ornaments made for Catherine the Great. There are also bracelet clasps that belonged to Marie Antoinette. The Beauharnais emerald necklace was given by Napoleon in 1806. The museum also collects modern jewellery from around the world. A new jewellery gallery opened in 2008.

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  Spanish gold and emerald pendant

Metalwork Collection

A finely decorated suit of lightweight battle armor. Bavaria, 1570.

This collection has over 45,000 items. It includes ironwork, bronze, silverware, arms, armor, and enamels. The main ironwork gallery was redesigned in 1995.

There are over 10,000 silver or gold objects. The display is divided into everyday and religious items. It covers Christian and Jewish objects. The collection has the earliest known English silver piece with a dated hallmark. This is a silver gilt beaker from 1496–1497.

The main ironwork gallery shows European ironwork from medieval times to the early 20th century. One of the largest items is the Hereford Screen. It weighs nearly 8 tonnes and is 10.5 meters high. It was designed in 1862 for Hereford Cathedral.

One rare item is the 58 cm-high Gloucester Candlestick. It is from about 1110 and made of gilt bronze. The Becket Casket from about 1180 is another highlight. It held relics of St Thomas Becket. The Burghley Nef, a salt-cellar from 1527–1528, is also unique. These items are in the new Medieval & Renaissance galleries.

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  The Becket Casket, Limoges enamel, 1180–90

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  The Burghley Nef—Silver-gilt salt cellar, France, 1527–28

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  The Gloucester Candlestick, 1110

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  Tabernacle, Cologne, Germany, 1180

Paintings and Miniatures

The collection has about 1130 British and 650 European oil paintings. It also has 6800 British watercolours and 2000 miniatures. The museum holds the national collection of miniatures. The Raphael Cartoons are on loan from the Queen. These are large designs for tapestries in the Sistine Chapel.

19th-century British artists are well represented. John Constable and J. M. W. Turner have many works. One unusual item is Thomas Gainsborough's showbox. He painted landscapes on glass that could be changed like slides.

In 1857, John Sheepshanks donated 233 paintings. These were mostly by British artists. They were meant to start a 'National Gallery of British Art'. Artists like William Blake and Millais are included. Most of Constable's works were donated by his daughter in 1888. This includes the large oil sketch for The Hay Wain.

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  Botticelli—Portrait of a Lady known as Smeralda Brandini, 1470-1475

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  Rembrandt—The Departure of the Shunammite Woman, 1640

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  Tintoretto—Self-Portrait as a Young Man, 1548

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  Raphael—The Miraculous Draught of Fishes, 1515

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  Raphael—St Paul Preaching in Athens, 1515

Photography Collection

The collection has over 500,000 images. They date from the start of photography in 1839. The gallery changes its exhibits often. In 1858, the museum held the world's first international photography exhibition.

The collection includes works by Fox Talbot, Julia Margaret Cameron, and Man Ray. It also has over 8,000 of Cecil Beaton's negatives. One unique collection is Eadweard Muybridge's "Animal Locomotion" photos from 1887. These are sequences of photos showing animals and humans moving.

Sculpture Collection

The dead Christ with the Virgin, St. John and St. Mary Magdalene, 1515.

Giambologna—Samson Slaying a Philistine, 1562

The V&A's sculpture collection is the most complete collection of European sculpture after ancient times. It has about 22,000 objects. These cover from about 400 AD to 1914. It includes Byzantine and Anglo Saxon ivory sculptures. It also has British, French, and Spanish medieval statues.

The collection of Italian sculpture is unmatched outside Italy. It includes Canova's The Three Graces. This sculpture is jointly owned with the National Galleries of Scotland. Italian sculptors like Donatello and Michelangelo are represented.

Rodin has over 20 works in the museum. This is one of the largest collections of his work outside France. He gave these to the museum in 1914. Other French sculptors like Jean-Antoine Houdon are also included.

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  Donatello—One of the finest examples of Donatello's work

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  Andrea della Robbia—Adoration of the Magi

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  Canova—Theseus

Textiles Collection

The textile collection has over 53,000 examples. Most are Western European. They date from the 1st century AD to today. This is the largest such collection in the world. It includes weaving, printing, quilting, embroidery, lace, tapestry, and carpets.

The tapestry collection has a piece of the Cloth of St Gereon. This is the oldest known European tapestry. A highlight is the four Devonshire Hunting Tapestries. These are rare 15th-century tapestries from the Netherlands. They show hunting scenes. The collection also has many textiles designed by William Morris.

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  Mille Fleur Tapestry, Flemish, 16th-century

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  Devonshire Hunting Tapestries, Detail of the Boar and Bear Hunt, Netherlands, mid-15th century

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  Azerbaijani carpet "Barda", 19th-century

Theatre and Performance Collection

The V&A holds the UK's national collection of performing arts. This includes drama, dance, opera, circus, and music. The collection started in the 1920s. Gabrielle Enthoven donated her collection of theatre items.

The Theatre & Performance galleries opened in 2009. They show costumes, set models, wigs, and posters. The department also has important archives. These include the Glastonbury Festival archive. Costumes worn by John Lennon, Mick Jagger, and Elton John are also in the collection.

Museum Exhibitions

The V&A has large galleries for temporary exhibitions. Each year, more than a dozen different exhibitions are held. They cover all areas of the collections. Recent popular exhibitions include:

• Britain Can Make It, 1946
• Hats: An Anthology, 2009
• Power of Making, 2011
• Food: Bigger Than the Plate, 2019
• Concealed Histories: Uncovering the Story of Nazi Looting, 2019 - 2021

The V&A's Alexander McQueen show in 2015 was very popular. It was London's second most visited paid exhibition that year.

V&A in Media

In March 2020, BBC Two aired a series called Secrets of the Museum. It showed the behind-the-scenes work of the museum's curators and restorers.

The Sculpture Gallery was featured in the 2023 romantic comedy Red, White & Royal Blue.

Images for kids

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  Room 81—The Ionides Bequest—82 paintings donated

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  Medieval and Renaissance Galleries

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  Medieval and Renaissance Galleries

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  Medieval and Renaissance Galleries

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  Silverware Gallery

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  Porcelain Vase, Ming dynasty 1550

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  Chinese lacquerware table, 1425–1436

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  Pietro Torrigiani's bust of Henry VII

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  Jacket and portrait of Margaret Laton, about 1610

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  Honoré Pelle's bust of Charles II

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  James II's wedding suit

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  Grinling Gibbons's Stoning of Saint Stephen

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  Stoke Edith hanging

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  Dressing equipage

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  Louis-François Roubiliac's George Frederick Handel

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  Robert Adam ceiling from the Adelphi

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  Panels from the Glass Drawing Room Northumberland House

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  Pugin armoire

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  William Burges decanter

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  Minton fountain

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  Sideboard, 1867–1870, Edward William Godwin

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  Metalwork gallery, 1st floor

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  George Gilbert Scott—Screen from Hereford Cathedral, 1862

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  John Constable—View of Salisbury Cathedral, 1823

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  J. M. W. Turner—Venice from the Giudecca, 1840

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  François Boucher—Madame de Pompadour, Mistress of Louis XV, 1758

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  Nicolas Lancret—The Swing, 1735

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  Sandro Botticelli - Portrait of a Lady Known as Smeralda Brandini, 1475

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  Luca Carlevarijs— Two Studies of Men, 1700–1710

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  Pietro Perugino— The Nativity; the Virgin, Saint Joseph and the Shepherds adoring the Infant Christ

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  Giovanni Battista Tiepolo— St Leo in Glory

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  Room 22—Sculpture 1600–1870, Canova—Theseus and the Minotaur

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  Room 24—Sculpture 1600–1870

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  Bust of Oliver Cromwell

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  Elfenbein

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  Gefäß

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  Horn

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  Truhe

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  Bibel

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  gotisches Zimmer

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  Altar 1

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  Altar 2

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  Altar 3

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  Renaissance-Raum

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  Altar Raum

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  A natural horn

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  A serpent, an ancestor of the tuba

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  Leonardo da Vinci, Codex Forster III, 1490–1505

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  Another view of the "visible storage"

See also

In Spanish: Museo de Victoria y Alberto para niños

• List of most visited art museums
• Director of the Victoria and Albert Museum
• Philippa Glanville
• V&A Digital Futures events on digital art
• List of design museums