{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1083963"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1083963/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2009CE2404/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2009CE2404/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2009CE2404","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AM3721","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017JU9719","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O1083963/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1083963","accessionNumber":"34966","objectType":"Photograph","titles":[{"title":"Exterior view of the roof of the South Kensington Museum ('the Brompton Boilers') under construction with the houses of Cromwell Road and Thurloe Square visible in the background","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"Photographs and photographers were present from the very beginning of the V&A's history and the Museum has an extensive collection of images from the 1850s through to the present which documents the construction and development of the V&A and the South Kensington site.  \r\n\r\nOriginally collected by the National Art Library as part of a programme to record works of art, architecture and design in the interest of public education, these topographic and architectural views were valued as records and as source material for students of architecture and design.  As well as being crucial records of the history of the V&A, and an important element within the National Art Library's visual encyclopaedia, these photographs are also significant artefacts in the history of the art of photography.\r\n","physicalDescription":"A mounted albumen print of the roof of a building under construction.  Four men are climbing among the roof framework.  In the foreground, a single man holds the crank of a gantry.  In the background is visible a man with a tophat and houses in the distance.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Spackman, Benjamin L. RE ","id":"AUTH319255"},"association":{"text":"photographer","id":"x43821"},"note":"B.L. Spackman was a sapper with the Royal Engineers."}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Royal Engineers","id":"A20860"},"association":{"text":"photographers","id":"AAT25687"},"note":"The South Kensington Museum's official photographer, Charles Thurston Thompson, was assisted by three sappers of the Royal Engineers, who were trained specifically for the purpose of recording the construction of the buildings.  "},{"name":{"text":"Department of Science and Art of the Committee of Council on Education","id":"AUTH320544"},"association":{"text":"commissioned by","id":"x28662"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"photographic paper","id":"AAT14190"}],"techniques":[{"text":"albumen process","id":"AAT133274"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Albumen print","categories":[{"text":"Photographs","id":"THES48910"},{"text":"Architecture","id":"THES48993"},{"text":"History of the V&A","id":"THES252692"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2009CE2404","2006AM3721","2017JU9719"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLF","id":"THES49656"},"free":"","case":"X","shelf":"601","box":"1"}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"photograph","id":"AAT46300"}],[{"text":"albumen print","id":"AAT127121"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"South Kensington Museum","id":"x32782"},"association":{"text":"photographed","id":"x30151"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1856","earliest":"1856-01-01","latest":"1856-12-31"},"association":{"text":"photographed","id":"x30151"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"16.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"image","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"22.6","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"image","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"26.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"mount","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"33.0","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"mount","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"38.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"mount","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"53.1","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"mount","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'South Kensington\r\nVictoria & Albert Museum\r\nLance Corp'l B.L. Spackman\r\nR.S.M. 1856'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"ink, mount"},{"content":"library stamp","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"blindstamp, partial, upper centre mount"},{"content":"'Progress of ROOF on 7th April 1856'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"printed, lower centre mount"},{"content":"'NEG No 80119'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"pencil, lower right mount"}],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Mounted albumen print, Lance Corpl. B.L. Spackman, exterior view, roof of South Kensington Museum (the 'Brompton Boilers) under construction, Cromwell Road and Thurloe Square houses visible in the background, 1856","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[{"text":"South Kensington Museum","id":"x32782"}],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"museums","id":"AAT5768"},{"text":"ladders","id":"AAT22376"},{"text":"top hats","id":"AAT46113"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"Gallery 100 ' A History of Photography' 2014-2015, text label : \n\nLance Corporal Benjamin L. Spackman\r\n(1834–unknown)\nExterior View of the Roof of the South Kensington Museum under Construction\r\n7 April 1856\n\r\nThe new ‘iron house’ of the South Kensington Museum was designed by Prince Albert. Measuring 81 metres long and nine metres high, it was large enough to house three two-storey galleries. The striking symmetry of this image draws the viewer to the central figure. In the background, labourers appear to be tight-rope walking against a backdrop of Thurloe Square.\n\r\nAlbumen print\r\nMuseum no. 34:966","date":{"text":"06 03 2014","earliest":"2014-03-06","latest":"2014-03-06"}}],"partNumbers":["34966"],"accessionNumberNum":"34966","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":null,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-15","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-30","availableToBook":false}}