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Black and white photo of a young boy standing and leaning on a seated woman

Assisting Yevonde

The thrilling thing about sharing research in the form of an exhibition is the feedback this generates. Unsurprisingly Yevonde’s gregarious nature and long career as a successful studio photographer impacted the lives of a great many people. Since Yevonde: Life and Colour opened in June 2023 several people have shared fascinating stories and photographs of relatives who worked with Yevonde.…

By National Portrait Gallery,

Daguerreotype of a man wearing a headdress and holding a shield

Making a daguerreotype: James Tylor’s self-portrait

For the newly reopened National Portrait Gallery, we’re pleased to have commissioned Kaurna artist James Tylor to make a self-portrait daguerreotype. Used widely during the 1840s and 50s, daguerreotypes were the first commercially available portrait photographs. James worked with Australian art historian Dr Elisa deCourcy on this daguerreotype and, in this blog, she shares more about the making process and the history of daguerreotypes. …

By National Portrait Gallery,

Art Handlers de-install a portrait of Queen Elizabeth I

Road to reopening

In March 2020, we closed our doors to undergo a major transformation – the biggest since our building opened 127 years ago. We can’t wait to welcome you back in June 2023, to see what we’ve been up to these last few years. While we count down the final months until reopening, we’re excited to share with you an update on our Inspiring People redevelopment works as well as the brilliant ways in which our team have been sharing the Collection across the UK and beyond. …

By National Portrait Gallery,