{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O84240"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O84240/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AK8657/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AK8657/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AK8657","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O84240","accessionNumber":"E.407-1998","objectType":"Photograph","titles":[{"title":"Woman Reading a Possession Order","type":"assigned by artist"},{"title":"Persons Unknown","type":"series title"}],"summaryDescription":"Tom Hunter's work often depicts groups of people with housing problems, including squatters, council house tenants and caravan-dwellers, in a positive light. This photograph is from a series of images of a squatter's community in Hackney, East London. It won the John Kobal Photographic Portrait Award in 1998 and has been exhibited widely. The composition echoes Vermeer's painting <i>Woman Reading a Letter at an Open Window</i>, 1657.","physicalDescription":"Photograph of a woman reading a possession order at a window.  A baby is lying in the foreground.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Hunter, Tom","id":"A4013"},"association":{"text":"photographer","id":"AAT25687"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"photographic paper","id":"AAT14190"}],"techniques":[{"text":"silver-dye bleach process","id":"AAT133465"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Dye destruction print (Ilfochrome)","categories":[{"text":"Photographs","id":"THES48910"},{"text":"Interiors","id":"THES48933"},{"text":"Household objects","id":"THES48939"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2006AK8657"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"WS001","id":"THES413475"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"photograph","id":"AAT46300"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"No","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Hackney","id":"x29471"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1997","earliest":"1997-01-01","latest":"1997-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Purchased through the Cecil Beaton Royalties Fund","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"591","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"image","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"492","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"image","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"600","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"frame","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"408","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"frame","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"'Woman Reading a Possession Order is from the series 'Persons Unknown', 1997.  The image appears with the original summons.  The series was produced by Hunter during his final year at the Royal College of Art.\n\nHistorical significance: This photograph is from a series based on a squatting community in Hackney, London.  It won the John Kobal Photographic Portrait Award in 1998 and has been exhibited widely.   The composition echoes the painting by Jan Vermeer 'Woman Reading a Letter at an Open Window', 1657.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Hunter, Tom. 'Woman Reading a Possession Order' from the series 'Persons Unknown', 1997. Dye destruction print.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"p. 45","free":"Jennifer Sliwka. <u>Reframed : the woman in the window</u>. London : Dulwich Picture Gallery, 2022. ISBN: 9781898519461"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[{"text":"Hackney","id":"x29471"}],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"infants","id":"AAT189561"},{"text":"women","id":"AAT25943"}],"contentConcepts":[{"text":"housing","id":"AAT283"}],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"Making It Up: Photographic Fictions (2008)\r\n\r\nHunter’s depictions of contemporary people living in precarious urban conditions often make reference to historical paintings. He based this composition, from a series on London squatters, on Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window (1657–9) by Johannes Vermeer. The copy of the actual eviction notice that accompanies the photograph sharply asserts the reality behind the carefully staged picture.\r\n\r\nMarta Weiss","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null}}],"partNumbers":["E.407-1998"],"accessionNumberNum":"407","accessionNumberPrefix":"E","accessionYear":1998,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-05-12","recordCreationDate":"2003-09-15","availableToBook":false}}