Mobile menu

Prince Albert collected photographs of places significant to him

Landscape, Architecture and Travel

The earliest album Victoria and Albert collected related to the landscape genre was William Henry Fox Talbot’s Sun Pictures of Scotland, printed privately in 1845. An especially important acquisition was an album of photographs by Édouard Baldus that was presented to Victoria and Albert as a memento of their state visit to France from the 18th to 27th of August 1855. The gifting of photographs albums became a symbolic act when building diplomatic friendships. The exchange of photographs albums could also be a deeply personal gesture of love and affection. Prince Albert’s native Coburg features prominently in his photographs collection. On arrival in England, Albert greatly missed his hometown and Victoria was sensitive to this homesickness. In 1857, she commissioned Francis Bedford to travel to Coburg to photograph the places associated with Albert’s childhood. The resulting album was given to Prince Albert as a birthday in August 1857.

William Henry Fox Talbot (1800-77)

Sun Pictures in Scotland

Francis Bedford (1815-94)

Photographs of Coburg

Francis Bedford (1815-94)

Photographs of Coburg

Francis Bedford (1815-94)

Photographs of Gotha

Unknown Person

Coburg Panorama

Edward Kater (active 1850)

Panoramic view of Florence

Bisson Fréres (1841-64)

Finsteraarhorn, Schreckhorn

Gustave Le Gray (1820-84)

The Brig, 1856

Gustave Le Gray (1820-84)

The English Fleet at Cherbourg

Dolamore & Bullock (active 1850s)

Ruins of Covent Garden Theatre, London

Dolamore & Bullock (active 1850s)

Ruins of Covent Garden Theatre, London

Dolamore & Bullock (active 1850s)

Ruins of Covent Garden Theatre, London

E Desplanques : Paris

Hotel de Ville, D'Audenarde

Bisson Fréres (1841-64)

Cour de Louvre, Paris

Bisson Fréres (1841-64)

Vue Panoramique de Paris

Attributed to? George Washington Wilson (1823-93)

Abergeldie Castle

George Washington Wilson (1823-93)

Birkhall, Glenmuick

Attributed to George Washington Wilson (1823-93)

Ballater, Aberdeenshire

Attributed to? Roger Fenton (1819-69)

Looking up the Valley towards Braemar

Attributed to Wilson & Hay (active 1853-55)

A photograph of the view from Craig Gowan

Attributed to Wilson & Hay (active 1853-55)

View from Craig Gowan looking up the valley towards Braemar

? James Valentine (1815-79)

Baile-na-Coille

George Washington Wilson (1823-93)

The Colonel's Bed. Glen Ey. Braemar

George Washington Wilson (1823-93)

Abergeldie Castle, South Front

George Washington Wilson (1823-93)

Upper Fall of the Garrawalt

Attributed to? George Washington Wilson (1823-93)

Balmoral Castle from the River Dee

George Washington Wilson (1823-93)

The Lower Fall of the Garrawalt