Victoria and Albert Museum

The Victoria and Albert Museum is the largest and most influential museum of decorative arts in the world. The Museum was founded in 1852 as a Museum of Manufactures, to motivate and educate British manufacturers and designers by building upon the fantastic success of the Great Exhibition of the previous year. In 1857 it moved from Marlborough House in the centre of town to the fields of Brompton, where it was renamed the The Victoria and South Kensington Museum. In 1899 it was renamed The Victoria and Albert Museum in honour of the widowed Queen Victoria, who laid the foundation stone of the building in that year in what was to be her last public appearance.

The museum's 145 galleries reflect centuries of achievement in such varied fields as ceramics, sculpture, furniture, jewellery, metalwork, textiles and dress, from Britain, Europe and Asia. The inspiration behind museums of art and design the world over, it has an international reputation as a centre of excellence.

The magnificent building also contains the National Collections of furniture, sculpture, glass, ceramics, watercolours, portrait miniatures, photography and houses the National Art Library. The Collections constitute a unique international resource; some four million objects are held by the Museum, ranging from Constable paintings to Oriental ceramics, and include the finest collection of Italian Renaissance sculpture outside Italy.

Location
Victoria and Albert Museum
Cromwell Road
South Kensington
SW7

Location Map

Telephone
+44 (0)20 7942 2000

Getting There
The V&A is within a few minutes walk of South Kensington tube station, on the corner of Cromwell Road and Exhibition Road.

Nearest Tube / Rail Station
South Kensington

Bus Routes
14, 74, C1