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Victoria & Albert Museum

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JustSayGrr
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4 out of 5
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Editor Pick

V and A Vast and Amazing

  • July 10, 2009
  • Rated 5 of 5 by duskmaiden from London, United Kingdom
The Victorian age was probably the golden age of museum building. One of the greatest of these is the Victoria and Albert Museum, which is the national museum for the decorative and applied arts.
The museum is located in South Kensington (southwest London) on Cromwell Road and Exhibition Road near the Royal Albert Hall, Science Museum and Natural History Museum. It is easy to find. You just get the Piccadilly, Circle or District line to South Kensington tube station. There is a subway that connects the station with the museums and the entrance to the V and A is clearly marked. There was no chance of getting lost. The same can not be said for navigating the museum. This is because the museum is huge. It is on six floors and covers anything that can be manufactured, carved or decorated such as textiles, metal work, sculpture and painting. The exhibits come from all over the world and span the centuries from the Middle Ages to contemporary pieces. It has been described, as a warehouse for all that is beautiful! There is a free map ( and gallery plans dispersed intermittently. All galleries are numbered. However I still found myself getting lost. The museum runs free guided tours throughout the day and I would highly recommend them. My guide was a very well spoken lady who was friendly, willing to answer questions was informative without being dry. The tour gave me a good understanding of the early history of the museum and also pointed out some highlights in the collection.
After taking my tour I decided to go to level five and work my way down (level six is not open to the public). This took me four and a half-hours and I skipped a few galleries especially on floor 1 and 0 as I had museum fatigue.
The galleries I particularly enjoyed and spent a lot of time in were the British galleries from 1600 to 1900. I liked these displays as most of the things were in context with themes such as eating and drinking, birth, marriage and death rather than just shelves and shelves of one thing. I found the silver, glass and ironwork galleries were less successful because of this. There are only so many ornate iron railings a girl can take.
I always enjoy the costume galleries. Fashion and its ludicrousness always fascinated me as people are trying to accentuate and distort their natural shape whether it be a bustle, a corset or a Wonder Bra. I almost have to laugh at the eighteenth century dresses with the hoops that make the skirt twice as wide at the sides. I was slightly perplexed when looking at the display of evening dresses as there seemed to be an eighteenth century and nineteenth century dress after a modern one when they normally go in chronological order. On further inspection I found that they were modern dresses designed by Vivienne Westward influenced by older dresses. I just thought why?
Another highlight for me was one of the tapestries galleries. Tapestries are not usually my thing but I found the Hardwick Hunt tapestries fascinating. These tapestries from Hardwich hall in Derbyshire date from the 15th century and depict hunting scenes. I loved them because they are massive with so much detain in them from the ermine on the robes to the faces. I especially loved a beautifully embroidered horse. I felt I could sit and look at them for hours and still not take in everything which is happening in them.
The final area that really interested me is the Cast Court. This is made up of plaster of Paris copies of sculptures from Roman pillars to Michelangelo's David. It felt very Victorian as they were in no particular order and a bit higgledy-piggledy. The reason why they existed my guide told me was so that 19th century art students could draw works of sculpture without having to travel or relying on an illustration from a book.
I skipped past the paintings. The museum is supposed to have one of the biggest collections of Constable but I found the way the paintings were arranged to be inaccessible to me. It was a very Victorian, arrangement, all jumbled up three paintings high. I prefer a linear layout as I can see the paintings at the top. I also prefer things to be arranged thematically as it makes more sense to me. I did spend a little bit more time on the miniatures as I find the detail on such small paintings incredible.
The interpretation used a mix of methods but relied quite heavily on interpretation panels and labels. These suit the museum as they provide the most information when you have such a vast collection. I sometimes find these problematic due to my eyesight especially if they are at ground level or quite far back in the case. However the V and A do cater for visually impaired visitors like me by providing large print books of the interpretation labels. When items were grouped thematically I found the larger interpretation panels very informative. They also used more modern methods to good effect. I liked the touch screen audiovisuals that showed how objects were crafted.
I am not sure the V and A is one to drag children round for hours on end. However there were a number of interactive for the kids (and big kids inside us). There was a Clore discovery area n the British Galleries. There were some genius things like assembling a chair as well as the more common brass rubbing's and dress up boxes. I could not resist trying on a replica corset and crinoline as I always thought they looked elegant and wanted to know what it felt like wearing that much underwear. It took me two seconds of wearing them to decide I am glad to be a modern girl, as it was not easy to walk or sit in at all.
The hands on exhibits catered for visually impaired people as well as children. There were bits of sculpture and different materials to feel and in these areas there were Braille labels. Like most museums the V and A is making their collections accessible to everyone.
I did appreciate the little touches like magnifying glass being supplied by the miniatures so I could look at them in greater detail. I also appreciated the folding stools and plenty of places to sit and rest. The museum is accessible for disabled people with a ramp entrance and lifts to all floors.
The V and A is not a museum you can nip in for 15 minutes unless you have a particular gallery in mind. I felt I could literally spend days in there and still not see everything. I must have walked at least two or three miles so my advice is take a comfortable pair of shows.
The best thing about the V and A is that it is free although a donation of £3 is suggested. That is great value for a day's entertainment. The only charge is for the special exhibitions.
A museum visit is not complete without a visit to the shop. Some can be a bit tacky but the V and A's one has recently been refurbished and is very classy. It was large, bright and tastefully arranged. There did not seem to be too much tat at all. There was a nice range of books, cards and postcards. A lot of the stuff was a bit on the expensive side but it did seem excellent quality.
Near the end of my visit I was pretty weary so I decided to pop into the café. I decided not to have food as the pre-packed sandwiches were £3 up and made to order deli ones even more. It did have a nice range of smoothies, juices and iced teas that were not that expensive. They are £2.25 so are comparably priced to a juice bar or Starbucks). I selected the interesting sounding rose iced tea with fresh apple and sunflower. I could not taste sunflower but it was lovely and refreshing. For those who bring their own food there is a lovely courtyard garden (the Pirelli Gardens) with beautiful fountains. This would be ideal for a summer's picnic.
I really enjoyed my wander around the Victoria and Albert. I certainly will go back. I want to see the galleries that I missed and skimmed over especially the Chinese ones. I saw some of the exhibits on my guided tour and the Imperial robes and thrones really brought to life for me objects described in books that I have read such as Empress Orchid. I would also like to see more of the exterior as I entered and exited by tunnel. There is so much to see at the V and A that repeated visits seem to be a must.

From journal Musings on London's Museums

Editor Pick

The Victoria and Albert Museum

  • December 24, 2008
  • Rated 5 of 5 by Drever from Ayr
The Victoria and Albert Museum

Like most museums in London The Victoria and Albert museum is free apart from special displays that incur a charge. In effect it is the permanent version of the 1851 Great Exhibition in London. Queen Victoria laid its foundation stone in 1899 and from the start the V&A has had an important role as a research institution. The museum showcases the applied arts of all disciplines, all periods, all nationalities, and all tastes and has become the greatest decorative-arts museum in the world.

We could think of no better place to spend a rainy day in London. We alighted at South Kensington tube station and followed a long titled tunnel leading to the V&A and the other museums in the area.

We received a floors plan at the entrances to help us navigate the seven-mile, four-storey maze of halls and corridors. The museum’s offers hourly free introductory talks but we decided just to wander and to use the floor plan only when lost. We meandered through levels 0 where we entered and level 1, which leaves scope for many more visits.

Level 0 contains the collection from Europe 1600-1800. These galleries begin with displays of extravagant objects from the 1600s. They continue with an exploration of Baroque from France, Italy and Spain. Highlights include an altar made of amber and ivory, Italian silk embroidered wall hangings and terracotta sketch models by the sculptor Bernini. Each object displayed is in context often with a partial room formed around it with colours chosen to show it off to best effect.

A highlight of the 16th-century Renaissance Italy collection is the marble Neptune with Triton by Bernini, and the cartoons by Raphael created as designs for tapestries for the Sistine Chapel.

The museum has the greatest collection of Indian art outside India, plus Chinese and Japanese galleries. In complete contrast are suites of English furniture, metalwork, and ceramics and the national collection of paintings by Constable. The Dress Collection includes a collection of corsets through the ages that's sure to make women wince. There's also an extraordinary collection of musical instruments. A most unusual, huge, and impressive exhibit is the Cast Courts containing life-size plaster models of ancient and medieval statuary and architecture.

With so many cultures displayed it becomes clear how like a relay race the progress of the world has been. A nation will go through a rapid stage of development falter and then another nation picks up the baton and runs with it.

European culture was slow to pick up the baton. While it was in the dark ages nations under Islam influences were powering ahead. It was only on the capture of their libraries and knowledge the West started to race ahead. Nations have taken it in turn to carry the baton. Will it return to China or India? Certainly they are challenging the current baton holders.

The museum is thought provocating and where else can you see such an amazing collection of ceramics, furniture, fashion, glass, jewellery, metalwork, photographs, sculpture, textiles and paintings? The V&A is home to 3000 years' worth of artefacts from many of the world's richest cultures and is the world’s greatest museum for art and design.

From journal Three Days Spent Investigating London

Editor Pick

An Astounding Collection of Collections

  • November 8, 2008
  • Rated 5 of 5 by tvordj from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
An Astounding Collection of Collections

The third of the big three South Kensington museums is the Victoria and Albert musem, a sprawling heap of galleries in a Victorian heap, opened circa 1857. It was the first museum ever to have a refreshment area (cafe). Personally, I think the building is not all that attractive, looking a bit like a tiered wedding cake at the entrance. Not as elegant and graceful as the Natural History museum next door. The big yellow and green blown glass chandelier was a millenium project. I'm not sure it's to my taste but it certainly is a feat of design, so it probably does suit the lofty ceiling and grandness of the entrance hall.

The V&A is a design and decorative arts museum, filled with furniture, jewellry, ornamental items, textiles, fashion, painting, and various other works of art and curios spanning 5000 years from pretty much every culture of the world. It was founded in the mid 1800s and named after, naturally, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. It's a huge building and I think you might prefer to pick a few areas to see because otherwise, you will soon be overwhelmed at the immense amount of things to see and take in. We spent a few hours traipsing around and indeed, it does all blur after awhile.

One of our favourite parts was an unexpected gallery filled with plaster casts of all sorts of things from ancient columns to reproductions of famous statues to effigies and friezes. It was really fascinating and we spent a fair bit of time in there checking everything out. I particularly liked the room with Raphael Cartoons, as well. Cartoons are designs for a set of tapestries. They are enormous and I seem to recall there is one of the actual tapestries that was woven from one of the designs. I also really enjoyed the British rooms, filled with old furniture and portraits, particularly the Tudor and Jacobean rooms including the great Bed of Ware, an Elizabethan four poster bed with exquisite carving. The Asian and South Seas exhibits were particularly nice, too. I wasn't that keen on the glass and metals items. It's a museum I would like to go back and see again when I have the energy and time since exhibitions are always changing and you never see it all in one visit anyway.

There are planned refurbishments and renovations over the next few years so some galleries may be closed.


Open from 10 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. and until 10 p.m. on Fridays. Some rooms close at 5 p.m. Entrance is free other than for special exhibits as is normal for most museums and galleries. Take the tube to the South Kensington station and follow the tunnels and signs to the entrance. Main entrance is on Cromwell Road with ramps available and the Exhibition Road entrance is step free. There are lifts and accessible toilets. There are free guided tours throughout the day, starting at the meeting point in the entrance hall. They start at 10:30 p.m. and every hour on the half hour until 3:30 p.m. You can take pictures, even with a flash, everywhere. There are of course cafes and shops.

Victoria & Albert Museum

  • March 19, 2007
  • Rated 4 of 5 by morph! from Belfast, United Kingdom
From ancient to more modern history, a visit to the Victoria and Albert (V&A) museum is a great way to spend the day. With its own dedicated entrance from the London Underground, the giant museum celebrates design - all elements from fashion to furniture through the years.

We commenced with coffee in the V&A tea rooms - the scones and cream are expensive but old fashioned and fitting in with the whole V&A experience.

There's a room in this museum for (it seems) almost every ancient culture. Progress through the ages to see more modern classics: furniture and gadgets we take for granted are displayed as history in the museum - it feels crazy! My favourite part was the fashion floor - I loved looking at clothes through the years up to today's haute couture.

It took us half a day to get through the permanent exhibitions - we didn't make it to the temporary displays. So leave a full day for the museum in its entirety, making sure to include the V&A shop - a perfect place for art-inspired presents!

You have to pay in but it's well worth a visit. Cultured and elegant, the V&A is a perfect place to spend a rainy London day!

From journal Lively London - a Midweek Break

Editor Pick

Victoria and Albert Museum

  • August 13, 2006
  • Rated 5 of 5 by phileasfogg from New Delhi, India
Victoria and Albert Museum

I’m very keen on museums, and the Victoria and Albert was one I’d never visited. So this time, the V&A was on the agenda.

The Victoria and Albert is just over 150 years old--it was established in 1852 as the South Kensington Museum (it was given its present name in 1899). Originally housing a collection of art and science exhibits, the museum shifted its focus to the arts in 1913, and since then has been one of the world’s most respected art collections.

Being short of time, we couldn’t see each of the 145 galleries in the 11-acre museum. But among the most awesome exhibits we saw were:

1. The Raphael Cartoons, preliminary `sketches’ of Biblical scenes, by Raphael. Each was between 40 and 50 square feet in area, and all served as the bases for Flemish tapestries.
2. The English Galleries, crowded with amazingly well-preserved and interesting items from medieval England. There are embroidered jackets; the wedding attire of James II; lace collars, gloves and bedspreads- and a section dedicated to the exquisite embroideries of a certain 17th century maiden called Martha Edlin, whose major work was executed when she was about 12 years old!
Also part of these galleries are musical instruments and pieces of intricately carved furniture, such as the Great Bed of Ware, first mentioned in the 15th century as being at an inn in Ware (Hertfordshire). Shakespeare refers to the bed in Twelfth Night.
3. The Chinese Gallery, bursting with paintings, imperial robes, jade ornaments and utensils, and splendid porcelain, including a curvy Ming vase that you can touch. Another highlight of the gallery is a stunning imperial throne made of finely carved, lacquered wood. Lovely!
4. The Japanese Gallery, which, although it’s dominated by samurai swords and costumes, has some beautiful porcelain and woodwork (there’s a foot-long tiger carved from wood, its stripes lightly polished while the rest of its body had a matte finish. Exquisite.) Best of all were the netsuke, tiny and perfect carvings of birds, animals, and so on, that were used as counterbalances for items slung on a cord and looped through the obi of a kimono.
5. The two Cast Courts, massive glass-covered pavilions that contain plaster casts of the best classical European sculpture. Among the casts are Michelangelo’s David; an Irish cross; the pulpit of Pisa Cathedral; Trajan’s Column; and various friezes and statues.
The Cast Courts are about 150 years old- David, in fact, was gifted to Queen Victoria in 1856. The gallery between the two Cast Courts contains religious works, enameled reliquaries, carved ivory crucifixes, diptychs, and triptychs. Among the latter, a 9th-century Carolingian triptych is particularly lovely.

My verdict: a museum that’s hard to beat. If you like arts and crafts, do visit.
The V&A’s open from 10 till 5.45 daily, and till 10 on Wednesday and the last Friday of the month except in December. Entry is free. There’s a café, a shop, and free daily tours and talks. Check at the entrance of the museum for details on tours.

From journal London Revisited: Something Old, Something New

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