Currently featured at the Getty Center is an absorbing exhibition entitled: A Royal Passion: Queen Victoria and Photography, which examines the fascination Queen Victoria developed with the emerging technology of photography shortly after ascending to the British throne in 1837.
This exhibition explores the relationship between the new art form and the queen, whose passion for collecting photographs began in the 1840s. On display are rare daguerreotypes, private portraits of the Royal Family, and a selection of prints by early masters of photography.
Over the course of her long reign, the queen was photographed as loving mother, devoted wife, grieving widow, and powerful sovereign. She was the first British monarch to have her life fully recorded by the camera, and her portraits became emblematic of an entire age.
And on April 12th the Getty will stage a Family Festival to allow the whole family to explore the world of Victorian photography. Visitors can enjoy the bagpipes of Victoria’s beloved Scotland, sing along to English music hall tunes, revel in the topsy-turvy world of Gilbert and Sullivan operas with the Pacific Opera Project, and have their picture taken to create their own “carte de visite.” There will also be hands-on workshops where families can create a royal crown or a photo album.
The J. Paul Getty Trust is an international cultural and philanthropic institution devoted to the visual arts that includes the J. Paul Getty Museum, the Getty Research Institute, the Getty Conservation Institute, and the Getty Foundation. The J. Paul Getty Trust and Getty programs serve a varied audience from two locations: the Getty Center in Los Angeles and the Getty Villa in Malibu.
The Getty Center is open Tuesday through Friday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. It is closed Monday and major holidays. Admission to the Getty Center is always free. Parking is $15 per car, but reduced to $10 after 5 p.m. on Saturdays and for evening events throughout the week. The Getty Center is at 1200 Getty Center Drive, Los Angeles, California. For more information visit www.getty.edu
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