{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1261905"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1261905/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2013GP7284/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2013GP7284/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2013GP7284","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O1261905/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1261905","accessionNumber":"35126","objectType":"Photograph","titles":[{"title":"English Mirror, ca. 1730 from Cumberland Lodge.  Windsor Forest","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 South Kensington Museum's  (and later the V&A's) collection.\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.\n\nCharles Thurston was the first official photographer employed by the South Kensington Museum. He was appointed in 1856. His subject here is a carved English mirror.  Relying upon natural light, Thompson photographed this object outdoors, inadvertently including his camera and the surrounding landscape, reflected in the mirror.  Curious is the fact that the photographer himself is not present in the reflection (as in the case in other photographs of mirrors taken by Thompson).  Most probably, Thompson removed himself from the frame at the beginning of the exposure, which would have necessarily been very long,returning into the frame momentarily in order to cover the lens.  As a result, his image did not visibly register on the glass negative.","physicalDescription":"A mounted albumen photograph of a carved mirror.  In the reflection is visible a camera on a tripod and trees in the background.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Charles Thurston Thompson","id":"N3687"},"association":{"text":"photographer","id":"x43821"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"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"},{"text":"photography","id":"AAT54225"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Albumen print","categories":[{"text":"Photographs","id":"THES48910"},{"text":"History of the V&A","id":"THES252692"},{"text":"Frames","id":"THES48949"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2013GP7284"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLF","id":"THES49656"},"free":"","case":"X","shelf":"37","box":"D"}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"photograph","id":"AAT46300"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"South Kensington Museum","id":"x32782"},"association":{"text":"photographed","id":"x30151"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1853","earliest":"1853-01-01","latest":"1853-12-31"},"association":{"text":"photographed","id":"x30151"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"32:657","id":"O1044383"},"association":"Version"},{"object":{"text":"35:206","id":"O1101384"},"association":"Version"}],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"height","value":"23.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"image","note":""},{"dimension":"width","value":"17.3","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"width","note":""},{"dimension":"height","value":"33","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"mount","note":""},{"dimension":"width","value":"27.4","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"mount","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'English mirror.  Circa 1730 / from Cumberland Lodge / Windsor Forest. / dup-35,206 IIIa/17'","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"},{"content":"Department of Sciene and Art Library","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, upper centre mount"}],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Photograph by Charles Thurston Thompson, 'English Mirror, ca. 1730 from Cumberland Lodge.  Windsor Forest', albumen print, ca. 1864', albumen print, ca. 1853","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[{"text":"South Kensington Museum","id":"x32782"}],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"mirrors","id":"AAT37682"},{"text":"cameras","id":"AAT22636"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"Charles Thurston Thompson (1816–68)\r\nEnglish Mirror, about 1730, from\r\nCumberland Lodge, Windsor Forest\r\nAbout 1853\r\n\r\nWhen Thurston Thompson photographed\r\nmirrors, he often showed the reflection of\r\nhimself and his camera. Most photographers\r\nobscured or blacked out the glass to avoid\r\ndetracting from the object itself. Here he has\r\nstepped away during the long exposure, so\r\nthat the camera – but not the photographer –\r\nregistered on the negative.\r\n\r\nAlbumen print\r\nMuseum no. 35126","date":{"text":"23/7/2016-5/3/2017","earliest":"2016-07-23","latest":"2017-03-05"}},{"text":"Gallery 100 ('A History of Photography') 2014-2015 label:\r\n\r\nCharles Thurston Thompson (1816–68)\r\nMirror from Cumberland Lodge\r\nAbout 1864\n\r\nWhen Thurston Thompson photographed mirrors, he often showed himself and his camera reflected. Most photographers obscured or blacked out the glass during printing. Thurston Thompson chose\r\nnot to do so, which suggests he was consciously recording himself in the new profession of museum photographer. This image is particularly intriguing, showing the camera but not the photographer, leaving us to wonder how it was made.\n\r\nAlbumen print\r\nMuseum no. 35:126","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null}}],"partNumbers":["35126"],"accessionNumberNum":"35126","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":null,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-16","recordCreationDate":"2013-03-25","availableToBook":false}}