{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1189959"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1189959/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2010EH8142/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2010EH8142/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2010EH8142","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London/Al Vandenberg","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O1189959/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1189959","accessionNumber":"E.424-2010","objectType":"Photograph","titles":[{"title":"Kentish Town from the series On a Good Day","type":"assigned by artist"}],"summaryDescription":"By the 1970s, American photographer Al Vandenberg (1932-2012) had abandoned his commercial career to take street photographs. Having studied photography in New York alongside Alexey Brodovitch, Richard Avedon and Bruce Davidson, Vandenberg became a successful commercial photographer and art director working in both New York and London during the 1960s. After a period of travelling, he settled in London in 1974 with the aim of using his photographic skills to create portraits of city life without a commercial agenda.\r\n\r\nVandenberg’s series <i>On a Good Day</i> documents a wide variety of Londoners. Although made on the street, the photographs are carefully posed and the subjects present themselves head-on to the camera with ease and confidence. Shopfronts and window displays serve as the backdrops in many of the photographs. Seen together, the series gives an idea of the communities and characters that made up London in this period.\r\n\r\nThe V&amp;A acquired fifteen photographs from Al Vandenberg’s <i>On a Good Day</i> series as part of the Staying Power project. Staying Power is a five year partnership between the V&amp;A and Black Cultural Archives. The project aims to explore black British experience from the 1950s to the 1990s through photographs acquired by the V&amp;A and oral histories conducted by Black Cultural Archives.\r\n","physicalDescription":"Black and white photograph of a woman wearing a flat cap with her hands in her pockets standing in front of a shop with lots of sale signs in the window.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Vandenberg, Al","id":"A18443"},"association":{"text":"photographer","id":"x43821"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"photographic paper","id":"AAT14190"}],"techniques":[{"text":"","id":""},{"text":"gelatin silver process","id":"AAT139114"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Gelatin silver print","categories":[{"text":"Photographs","id":"THES48910"},{"text":"Europeana Fashion Project","id":"THES265804"}],"styles":[{"text":"documentary","id":"x37881"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2010EH8142"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLF","id":"THES49656"},"free":"","case":"X","shelf":"1003","box":"C"}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"photograph","id":"AAT46300"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"photographed","id":"x30151"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1974","earliest":"1974-01-01","latest":"1974-12-31"},"association":{"text":"photographed","id":"x30151"},"note":""},{"date":{"text":"2010","earliest":"2010-01-01","latest":"2010-12-31"},"association":{"text":"printed","id":"x46159"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"E.422-2010","id":"O1189961"},"association":"Series"},{"object":{"text":"E.423-2010","id":"O1189960"},"association":"Series"},{"object":{"text":"E.425-2010","id":"O1189958"},"association":"Series"},{"object":{"text":"E.426-2010","id":"O1189957"},"association":"Series"},{"object":{"text":"E.427-2010","id":"O1189956"},"association":"Series"},{"object":{"text":"E.428-2010","id":"O1189955"},"association":"Series"},{"object":{"text":"E.429-2010","id":"O1189954"},"association":"Series"},{"object":{"text":"E.430-2010","id":"O1189953"},"association":"Series"},{"object":{"text":"E.431-2010","id":"O1189952"},"association":"Series"},{"object":{"text":"E.432-2010","id":"O1189951"},"association":"Series"},{"object":{"text":"E.433-2010","id":"O1189950"},"association":"Series"},{"object":{"text":"E.434-2010","id":"O1189949"},"association":"Series"},{"object":{"text":"E.435-2010","id":"O1189948"},"association":"Series"},{"object":{"text":"E.436-2010","id":"O1189947"},"association":"Series"}],"creditLine":"Given in part by Al Vandenberg and Eric Franck. Supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"17.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"image","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"12.1","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"image","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"The V&A acquired this photograph as part of the Staying Power project. Staying Power is a five year partnership between the V&A and Black Cultural Archives. The project aims to explore black British experience from the 1950s to the 1990s through photographs acquired by the V&A and oral histories conducted by Black Cultural Archives.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Photograph by Al Vandenberg, 'Kentish Town' from the series <i>On a Good Day</i>, gelatin silver print, London, 1974, printed 2010","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"woman","id":"x35642"},{"text":"shops","id":"AAT5283"},{"text":"streets","id":"AAT8247"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"Text label for the exhibition, 'Staying Power: Photographs of Black British Experience, 1950s - 1990s\n16 February – 24 May 2015\n\nAl Vandenberg (1932 – 2012)\r\nFrom the series On a Good Day\r\n1970 – 79\n\r\nVandenberg worked as a commercial photographer\r\nin New York in the 1960s. He later settled in London,\r\nwhere he set out to document city life, combining street\r\nphotography with portraiture. He often used shopfronts\r\nand window displays as backdrops. Although the\r\nphotographs were made on the street, the subjects are\r\ncarefully posed and appear engaged in the process.\r\nGelatin silver prints (printed 2010)\n\r\nMuseum nos. E.423 to 426, 429, 431, 432, 434 to 436-2010","date":{"text":"16/02/2015 - 24/05/2015","earliest":"2015-02-16","latest":"2015-05-24"}}],"partNumbers":["E.424-2010"],"accessionNumberNum":"424","accessionNumberPrefix":"E","accessionYear":2010,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-09-17","recordCreationDate":"2011-02-01","availableToBook":false}}