Today, The Duchess of Cambridge, Catherine, visited the Victoria and Albert Museum to officially open the new photography centre. The visit was Catherine’s first visit to the Museum since taking its patronage in March this year, although Duchess has visited the Museum last year in June to inaugurate the Entrance and Exhibition Road Quarter.
Upon arrival, Duchess was received by the museum director Tristram Hunt, who later on showed Duchess around.
The Duchess of Cambridge, whose undergraduate thesis was on photography, always had a keen interest in the visual arts, photography, design and textiles that is reflected by the patronage. While the V&A has been intrinsically linked to the Royal Family since its founding in 1852 during the reign of Queen Victoria, the Duchess is the museum’s first Royal Patron.
The V&A began acquiring photographs in 1852, and its collection is now one of the largest and most important in the world. The history of the photography collection in the V&A is closely connected with the development of the Museum as a whole. Its first director, Henry Cole, was an amateur photographer himself and a great supporter of the art of photography. He began a photography collection in 1856, the year that the South Kensington Museum, now the V&A, was established.
Since then, the collection has grown to be international in scope and comprises over 300,000 images dating from 1839 to the present. Photography can be seen as a combination of science and art, in which advances in technique continually feed creativity and artistic achievement.
Situated in the V&A’s North East Quarter, the Photography Centre reclaims the beauty of three original 19th-century picture galleries. It is part of the V&A’s Future Plan development programme to revitalize the museum’s public spaces through contemporary design and the restoration of original features.
A second phase of the Photography Centre planned to open in 2022, will expand it further, with ambitions to include a teaching and research space, a browsing library and a studio and darkroom for photographers’ residencies.
The Duchess of Cambridge toured the opening display at the Photography Centre – ‘Collecting Photography: From Daguerreotype to Digital‘ that covers photography from the daguerreotypy days in the early 19th century to the present day. The display exhibits some of the 800,000 photographs of V&A Collection including seminal prints by pioneers William Henry Fox Talbot and Roger Fenton and some of the world’s earliest pictures dating from the 1820s
The Centre also displays some 150 different camera equipment used over the century to capture photographs. Catherine visited the jewellery gallery where she saw the famous Victoria coronet. About The Duchess of Cambridge’s visit, the director of the Museum Tristram Hunt said,
She had an early sneak preview of the coronet and was very interested discussing the history of it and the design by Albert. We also showed her the Beyoncé papillon ring — a butterfly whose wings flap — which was a very generous gift by Beyoncé. She was suitably impressed But she didn’t get to touch it — or try it on. It was hidden behind glass
During the visit, giving insights to the life behind palace doors, Duchess told that Prince George is liable to blaming his pencils rather than his drawing ability. Catherine unveiled a plaque to mark her visit and opening of the centre.
A video wrapping the complete visit.
The $1900 sold-out dress from label’s Spring 2018 is described on Net-a-Porter as, This Italian-made dress is cut from lightly frayed bouclé-tweed and encrusted with crystal and faux pearl embellishments. The layered off-the-shoulder neckline sweeps across the décolletage, while the fluted hem gently ripples as you walk.“
It seems The Duchess of Cambridge wore the runway version of the dress with a bit of alteration. The tea-length dress features an off-shoulder neckline with buttons at the front and purple checked print with cut-out at the waistline.
A closer look at the dress details. The dress is also available in red floral print.
The Duchess of Cambridge accessorized the dress with a burgundy belt.
The talented MF Stylist Perth on Twitter noted that the belt is from Erdem’ Pre-Fall 2017 collection.
Catherine paired the dress with Erdem Floral Hoop Drop Earrings, thanks to @ACesarova on Twitter for the quick id.
The £290.00 earrings are from label’s Autumn Winter 2018 collection and feature a crystal stud with onyx detailing clutches a crystal-embellished hoop. A floral shape hangs beneath, made from brass smoked topaz with crystal and pearl ‘petals’ and a single teardrop pearl falling below. (The picture shows a style with different centre stone).
Catherine was wearing Jimmy Choo burgundy pumps. They are the bespoke version of label’s Romy pumps that The Duchess also owns in nude colour. Thanks to Lauren Parkinson on Twitter for the id.
Catherine debuted a new handbag today ided by HeavenLM. She was carrying Jimmy Choo J Box in Bordeaux Velvet. The $1695 Velvet clutch features Gold/Silver Hardware on sides and clasp on top and is available with personalization.
Next, we will see The Duchess of Cambridge on Friday at the wedding of Princess Eugenie of York and Jack Brooksbank where Prince George and Princess Charlotte are once again part of the bridal party. Today, Palace announced the details of the bridal party. Eugenie has made all the kids of royal family part of her wedding. It is going to be a big family day.
In Other news Hello! Magazine reported that The Duchess of Cambridge was seen at the art fair in Battersea Park last week. Prince George goes to school in the area where Catherine was spotted at The Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair on Friday afternoon. She enjoyed a spot of shopping and browsing just after 2 pm, most likely before collecting George who was a five-minute drive away. As per reports,
” Kate was very casual, wearing blue jeans and a pink shirt. She had on a pair of white trainers,” a source told HELLO! “She was very, very pretty. She appeared to be on her own with no obvious security in sight. She was walking along the aisle with someone who looked as if he was explaining something to her, perhaps a dealer or a member of the exhibition staff.”
