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Glass plate negatives

Albert and Victoria’s collection of glass plate negatives show photographers’ working methods

Daguerreotypes and ambrotypes

      In the late 1850s a list  was drawn up of the daguerreotypes  in the Royal Collection, identifying ninety-two items. According to the list, the main subjects were portraits of the royal family, members of the royal household and notable figures. The vast majority of the objects listed are historically missing: some would have been given away to friends and family; others may have been misplaced or damaged over the years. However, due to the royal couple’s systematic documentation of their collections via photography, various negatives of original daguerreotypes and ambrotypes have survived, some depicting items from the 1850s list. One of the two earliest photographic portraits of Prince Albert shown below is a notable example of a negative depicting a now lost daguerreotype.


      The income from your ticket contributes directly to The Royal Collection Trust, a registered charity. The aims of The Royal Collection Trust are the care and conservation of the Royal Collection, and the promotion of access and enjoyment through exhibitions, publications, loans and educational activities.