{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1189960"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1189960/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2010EH8141/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2010EH8141/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2010EH8141","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London/Al Vandenberg","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O1189960/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1189960","accessionNumber":"E.423-2010","objectType":"Photograph","titles":[{"title":"Untitled [two boys in shorts] 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. His technique of photographing people against a wall, encouraging them to engage in the process, created uplifting images in which his subjects appear relaxed and often smiling. Vandenberg saw the smile as a leveller, emphasising that whether he was taking a photograph ‘on the High Street of London or in the hills of Laos - a smile is always a smile.’\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.","physicalDescription":"A black and white photograph of two black boys wearing shorts with bare chests standing against a wall.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Vandenberg, Al","id":"A18443"},"association":{"text":"photographer","id":"x43821"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"photographic paper","id":"AAT14190"}],"techniques":[{"text":"gelatin silver process","id":"AAT139114"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Gelatin silver print","categories":[{"text":"Photographs","id":"THES48910"},{"text":"African Diaspora","id":"THES48873"},{"text":"Black History","id":"THES48989"},{"text":"Children & Childhood","id":"THES48980"},{"text":"Europeana Fashion Project","id":"THES265804"}],"styles":[{"text":"documentary","id":"x37881"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2010EH8141"],"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":"1970s","earliest":"1970-01-01","latest":"1979-12-31"},"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.424-2010","id":"O1189959"},"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":"11.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"image","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"17.8","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, 'Untitled' [two boys in shorts] from the series <i>On a Good Day</i>, gelatin silver print, London, 1970s, printed 2010","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"boys","id":"AAT247598"},{"text":"children","id":"AAT25945"}],"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.423-2010"],"accessionNumberNum":"423","accessionNumberPrefix":"E","accessionYear":2010,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-08","recordCreationDate":"2011-02-01","availableToBook":false}}