Sun Artists: A Serial of Artistic Photography

Victoria and Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, SW7 2RL, London

August 19, 2026 – May 9, 2027

Sun Artists (1889–91) was a pioneering publication that showcased photography as an art form, featuring one British photographer per issue with four photogravure prints and an accompanying essay. Despite its brief run of eight issues, it elevated the medium's artistic status and influenced future publications like Alfred Stieglitz's Camera Work. The exhibition presents all eight featured photographers: Julia Margaret Cameron, a trailblazer in artistic photography, and Eveleen Myers, among others, including Joseph Gale, Henry Peach Robinson, Lyddell Sawyer, Frank Meadow Sutcliffe, J. B. B. Wellington, and Benjamin Gay Wilkinson. Located in Room 98 of the Photography Centre within the Kusuma Gallery, the display aligns with the theme of Photography and the Book, highlighting the integral role of books in photography since the 1840s. The Royal Photographic Society's library collection complements the exhibition, supported by The Bern Schwartz Family Foundation.