• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
    • First Time Here?
    • Archive
    • London Blogs
  • Blog
  • Travel
    • London Theater Tickets
    • Shopping
    • Tips
    • Tours
    • Transport
    • Maps
    • Parks
    • Resources
    • Restaurants
    • Top 10 London
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Buildings
    • Food
    • London Books
    • Movies
    • Museums
    • Music
    • Pubs
  • Londonism
    • Reviews
    • Fun London
    • Iconic London
    • Life in London
    • London Realities
    • Moving to London
    • Politics
  • The Tube
  • London History
    • Great London Buildings
    • Great Londoners
  • Contact
  • Guidebooks
    • 101 London Travel Tips – Guidebook
    • 101 Free Things to do in London

Londontopia

The Website for People Who Love London

You are here: Home / Site News / Featured / Great London Buildings – The Victoria & Albert Museum

Great London Buildings – The Victoria & Albert Museum

Jan 26, 2017 By John Rabon

andersphoto / Adobe Stock
© andersphoto / Adobe Stock

Also known as the V&A, the Victoria & Albert Museum was founded in 1852 as a museum of art and design.  Today, it is the largest of its kind in the world, with a permanent collection of more than 4.5 million works of art from a period of more than two thousand years.  It sits in the part of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea known as “Albertopolis”, so named after Prince Albert and his patronage of the arts and sciences.  The area contains many buildings associated with Albert and his interests, also featuring the Royal College of Art, the Royal College of Music, the Royal Albert Hall, the Royal Geographical Society, and the Science Museum.

Albertopolis, including the V&A, began as part of the Great Exhibition in 1851.  A festival dedicated to culture and technology, there was a desire by Prince Albert and those involved in the Exhibition to see this celebration of art, music, technology, and science continue.  One of these men was Henry Cole, who would become the V&A’s first director.  Cole, along with Richard Redgrave, began to amass a collection of pottery, porcelain, majolica, steelwork, and glass that would form the basis for the museum’s objects.  The two hoped that the collection would inspire “improvements in the character of our national manufacturers.”

Thus was the beginning of the Museum of Manufacturers, which opened in May 1852 in Marlborough House and later transferred to Somerset House in September of that year.  The discussion began in 1854 of creating the building in which the V&A is now located, and the museum name was changed to the South Kensington Museum.  The proceeds of the Great Exhibition were used to purchase the land on which the Albertopolis would be built, and Cole approached Albert about the possibility of a museum building in the southeast corner of the property.

Queen_Victoria_and_Prince_Albert_1854

Prince Albert himself drew up the first concept for the temporary museum building, which was then developed into plans by architect Gottfried Semper.  The “iron museum” was built by Charles Young and Company, with construction starting in 1856.  The final building was 81 metres long and 9 metres high, with space for three two-storey galleries.  The temporary structure was condemned as being ugly and looking like “a three-sided” boiler.  It also had structural problems including a leaking roof, poor drainage, and extreme indoor temperatures.  The South Kensington Museum opened in June 1857 and the Eastern Galleries were completed two years later in 1859 to house the collection of artwork.

Unfortunately, Prince Albert did not get to enjoy the museum for too long and died in 1861 of typhoid.  The iron building remained the home of the museum for 42 years, with additional wings constructed, until groundwork began on the current building.  Designed by Aston Webb, construction began in May 1899 with the laying of the cornerstone by Queen Victoria in her last public appearance.  It was at this time that the museum name also changed to the Victoria & Albert Museum.  It finished 10 years later and the opening ceremony was conducted by Victoria’s son and heir, King Edward VII, on 26 June 1909.

With the completion of the Science Museum in 1914, those objects and exhibits were removed from the V&A, which then became absolutely dedicated to art and design.  Unfortunately, the V&A had become a building landlocked by its neighbours in the Albertopolis and often had to renovate from within to increase storage and gallery space.  During WWII and the London Blitz, it became necessary to move the V&A’s collection to separate locations to protect it.  These included a quarry in Wiltshire, Somerset House, and even the Aldwych Underground Station.  Since that time, the V&A’s collection has grown by leaps and bounds, including international items and exhibits, but always putting its primary focus on art and design from Britain.

The museum is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. It is open later on Friday until 10:00 p.m. Admission is free but there is an additional charge for special exhibitions. The nearest Tube station is South Kensington.

John Rabon
Author: John Rabon

John is a regular writer for Anglotopia and its sister websites. He is currently engaged in finding a way to move books slightly to the left without the embarrassment of being walked in on by Eddie Izzard. For any comments, questions, or complaints, please contact the Lord Mayor of London, Boris Johnson's haircut.

close

Free London News

Get the latest news on London history, culture, travel, exhibitions, and more right in your inbox!

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Share this:

  • Print
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit
  • Pocket

Filed Under: Featured, Great London Buildings, History, Museums, Site News

Subscribe to Our Free London Updates

Free London News

Get the latest news on London history, culture, travel, exhibitions, and more right in your inbox!

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

About John Rabon

John is a regular writer for Anglotopia and its sister websites. He is currently engaged in finding a way to move books slightly to the left without the embarrassment of being walked in on by Eddie Izzard. For any comments, questions, or complaints, please contact the Lord Mayor of London, Boris Johnson's haircut.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Carol Willadsen says

    Jan 30, 2017 at 7:40 pm

    Thank you for this history of the V&A.

  2. Denise says

    Jan 31, 2017 at 11:45 am

    My favorite cafeteria to eat in!

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to Our Free London Updates

Free London News

Get the latest news on London history, culture, travel, exhibitions, and more right in your inbox!

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Get the Anglotopia/Londontopia App

Our Advertisers

If you are a mobile gamer, you may want to take a look at UK’s new mobile casinos and slots reviewed by NewCasinoUK.

Join the London Forum

  • Mudlarking
  • MY FAVOURITE PLACE IN LONDON
  • What's Your Favorite Place in London?
  • Paddington Station

London Guide

  • Ten Cheap Things You Can Do in London on a Budget
  • Ten London Exhibitions to Look Forward to in 2023
  • London’s Non-Free Museums: Your Guide to London’s Museums That Charge Admission
  • Trip Planning: Top 10 Exhibitions To Plan Your 2018 Trips to London Around
  • London Guide: Our Favorite Restaurants in London – London Restaurant Recommendations for Americans – What’s Your Favorite?

Connect With Us

  • Facebook
  • RSS Feed
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Support Londontopia

Search our Extensive Archive

Top 10 London

  • Ten Unusual Exhibits to See in London
  • London Pubs: Ten Thameside Pubs for a Pint and a View
  • Top 10 London: Ten More Things to Do Along the River Thames
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Shopping Centers in London
  • Museums of London: Ten Overlooked London Museums
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Haggerston
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Haringey
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Redbridge
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Hillingdon
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to Do in Canonbury

Recent Posts

  • Natural History Museum named most visited indoor UK attraction again
  • The Ugly Duchess: Beauty and Satire in the Renaissance at the National Gallery
  • Gatwick returns to profit as air travel bounces back
  • Sir Mark Rylance brings role as Dr Semmelweis to West End
  • Shire horses prepare Tower of London moat for next wildflower display
  • In Video: Watch pianist Lang Lang perform at St Pancras station
  • Heathrow ready for ‘successful Easter getaway’ after chaos of 2022
  • More than 40,000 plant species now stored in Kew Gardens’ seed bank
  • Ten of the Best Fish & Chips Restaurants in London
  • Judi Dench hails ‘heroic’ Ada Salter as blue plaque unveiled

Best Posts on Londontopia

  • 101 London Travel Tips
  • Top 100 London Attractions
  • How to Find the Cheapest Airfares to London
  • 10 Things NOT to do in London
  • Best London Guidebooks
  • 101 Free Things to do in London
  • London Lingo – A London Word Dictionary
  • Top 7 Tips for Doing London on the Cheap
  • Top 11 Myths American Believe about London
  • Guide to Eating in London
  • Best Times of Year to Travel to London
  • London Packing Tips
  • Top 11 Movies Set in London
  • Top Attractions off the Tourist Track
  • Top 5 Most Amazing London Hotels
  • Top 10 Hostels in London
  • Best Views in London Restuarants
  • London Taxi Ettiquette
  • Top 12 London Views
  • Great Fire of London
  • A Guide to Five of London’s Bridges
  • 10 Random Facts and Figures about Trafalgar Square
  • Top 100 British Slang Words

London Places to Explore

Bloomsbury Buckingham Palace Canary Wharf City of London Covent Garden Cutty Sark Greenwich Hampstead Hampton Court Palace Heathrow Houses of Parliament Hyde Park Imperial War Museum Islington Kensington Kensington Palace Leicester Square London London Eye London Transport Museum Museum of London National Gallery Notting Hill Piccadilly Circus Putney Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Regent's Street Royal Academy Selfridges Somerset House Southbank Southwark St Pancras St Paul's Cathedral Tate Britain Tate Modern The City Tower Bridge Tower of London Trafalgar Square V&A Wandsworth West End Westminster Westminster Abbey

SIGN-UP FOR FREE LONDON WEEKLY UPDATES!

Please enter a valid email address
That address is already in use
The security code entered was incorrect
Thanks for signing up

Recent Videos

Walk Around London Virtually Right Now – Watched Walker is the YouTube Channel We All Need Right Now

Jason Hawkes Shares a Beautiful Video of London From Above That We All Need Right now

London Tube: You’ve Got to Watch This Amazing Mesmerizing Animation That Shows the Real Geography of the London Underground

Video: The Basics of Crossrail – London’s New Underground Line

London History: The Place Where Old London Double Decker Buses Went to Die

London Video: A Look at the Great Smog of London

10 Interesting Facts about the Hammersmith and City Line

Nearly half of Londoners have used Elizabeth line so far – survey

Tube and London bus fares to rise by nearly 6% from March

What is Crossrail 2 and What is Its Current Status?

London Alert: Strike by London Underground workers to go ahead after last-minute talks fail

London Mayor hails Elizabeth line as direct routes and Sunday services begin

Footer

About Londontopia

Londontopia is simply the website for people who love London. It was founded by Jonathan & Jackie Thomas from Anglotopia.net as a place to post articles solely focused on London and its environs. Keep up with all the latest London news at Londontopia! This site is geared towards people who love to visit London and our primary audience is North American but everyone is welcome!

When We’re in London Next

We don’t currently have any travel plans to London but hope to visit at some point in 2021.

  • SEO Backlinks
  • Travel Blog

SIGN-UP FOR FREE LONDON WEEKLY UPDATES!

Please enter a valid email address
That address is already in use
The security code entered was incorrect
Thanks for signing up

Copyright © 2023 Anglotopia, LLC · Website Developed by Anglotopia, LLC · Log in