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Commissioning Portraits - Chronology	1917	National Photographic Record set up, leading to a collection of over 10,000 commissioned photographic portraits of leading officeholders in British society, taken 1917-71 by three nominated photographers, Walter Stoneman, Walter Bird and Godfrey Argent
Queen Elizabeth II by Pietro Annigoni, 1969 Margaret Hilda Thatcher (née Roberts), Baroness Thatcher by Rodrigo Moynihan, 1983-1985 Alan Bennett by Tom Wood, 1993 Madhur Jaffrey by Barry Marsden, 1998	1918	Three group portraits commissioned to commemorate the First World War (given by Sir Abe Bailey): General Officers by John Singer Sargent, Naval Officers by Sir Arthur Cope and Statesman by Sir James Guthrie, the latter completed 1930
	1930	Contemporary Portraits Fund set up, with support from Sir Joseph Duveen, Mrs Maclachlan and the National Art Collections Fund, to acquire portraits, primarily drawings, of distinguished contemporaries, to enter the collection following their death, leading to six commissioned portraits
	1950	The Royal Lodge, Windsor commissioned from Sir James Gunn
	1968	Queen Elizabeth II commissioned from Pietro Annigoni (given by Sir Hugh Leggatt) and exhibited 1970
	1969	Portraits of the living now admissible to the collection, following relaxation of rule restricting collecting, but not to be exhibited until after their death
	1972	A separate Contemporary Portrait Collection established to allow the Director to acquire portraits that would be submitted for inclusion in the permanent collection in due course. Unsuccessful investigations of possible commissioned portraits of the Queen Mother, the Prince of Wales and the Prime Minister
	1980	Bryan Organ's portrait of Prince Charles, inaugurates an active programme of commissions. Annual Portrait Award for painters under 40 introduced and twelve portraits commissioned from Portrait Award winners 1980-9 with support from Imperial Tobacco
	1981	First commissioned sculpture, Franta Belsky's bronze head of Queen Elizabeth II
	1984	Portrait of Margaret Thatcher unveiled
	1987	First commissioned photograph, David Buckland's cibachrome of athlete Daley Thompson
	1989	Fiftieth commission unveiled, Martin Rose's painting of composer Michael Tippett
	1988	Kenyon Fund set up, with support from former Gallery chairman, Lord Kenyon, to commission drawings
	1990	Fourteen portraits commissioned from Portrait Award winners with support from BP, 1990-2006
	1992	Two portraits rejected, depicting William Whitelaw and Alan Bennett, but versions subsequently accepted
	1993	Various portraits unveiled to celebrate the enlarged 20th century galleries in the newly opened Gallery extension
	1994	Photographs of leading scientists commissioned with help from Cable & Wireless plc
	1998	Art of Cooking exhibition celebrates first of new series of photographic commissions
	2000	Opening of the Ondaatje Wing commemorated in commissioned painting of opening ceremony and photographs of the building works
	2001	The Wellcome Trust supports DNA portrait of Sir John Sulston
	2001	Jerwood Foundation agrees to support portraits of young achievers in the arts, leading to a portrait of Thomas Adès and a group portrait, Three Royal Court Theatre Directors
	2002	Fund for New Commissions set up, with support from JPMorgan, leading to portraits of David Beckham and Dame Judi Dench
	2003	Deloitte Acquisition Fund set up, with support from Deloitte, to acquire and commission contemporary photographic portraits, leading to photographs of leaders in the world of telecommunications and other non-commissioned photographs

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