Photography Collection
From early silver prints to contemporary large-format works — how the camera taught the modern world to see itself, told in two hundred images.
Home / Collection / Photography Collection
Two centuries behind the lens
The Photography Collection occupies the museum's light-controlled east wing. Low light protects fragile prints while letting silver gelatin, albumen, and pigment inks glow. The permanent hang follows the medium chronologically; the project room rotates focus shows from our archive vaults every season.
The first century
Daguerreotypes, albumen prints, and documentary pioneers.
Modern masters
Street photography, portraiture, and the decisive moment.
Contemporary lens
Large-format colour works from living image-makers.
Watch prints come alive
Darkroom demonstrations run on the second Saturday of each month — watch a print emerge in the developer tray, exactly as it has for 150 years. The project room's focus shows change seasonally, so repeat visits always reveal something new.
- Low-light wing designed for fragile works on paper
- Photography walking tours every Sunday at 1PM
- Archive appointments for researchers on request