Great Museums: Victoria and Albert, London

The second half of the nineteenth century was marked by the personality and the legacy of Queen Victoria of England. During his tenure he reached the height of the British Industrial Revolution and the heyday of the British Empire. But his figure would not be understood without the presence of her husband, Prince Albert who lived a love story whose death, also defined the character and the reign of Victoria past 40 years.

During this period, Alberto drives the realization of the Great Exhibition to show the world the development attained by England. In 1851 the area of ​​Kensington in London Hyde Park is transformed to host the exhibition halls. Thus it was born, for example, the majestic building of the Crystal Palace we can still visit. The Great Exhibition was a success and one consequence of this was the creation of the present Victoria and Albert Museum.
The museum was established in 1852 under the principle of putting the works of decorative art exhibition worldwide, educate and inspire the working class and industrial designers British. At first it was called the Museum of manufacturers and their fund was created based on the acquisition of individual pieces and objects.

The museum moved to its present site in 1857 and is named South Kensington Museum. His collection grew rapidly by acquiring pieces of furniture, textiles and other decorative arts. He also added artworks as painting, drawings, prints and sculpture as a means to illustrate the different times in which they were created industrial objects.

Gradually they were adding and building outbuildings to house the ever-expanding collection until 1899 when Queen Victoria herself laid the foundation for the building we know today. At that time, it was Victoria who renamed the museum with his name and that of her husband died 30 years earlier.