Photographic Material Describing and Promoting the Museum Collections

Scope and Content

Comprises of a volume of photographs of the Museum's collections, taken by the firm of Bedford Lemere & Co. The volume combines images from two volumes published by Bedford Lemere & Co. entitled: 'Specimens in the Royal Architectural Museum, Westminster, London', (London, 1872) and 'Details from Early English Cathedrals' (London, 1874).

Administrative / Biographical History

The Royal Architectural Museum was very conscious of the importance of photography to promote their collections and as an educational tool. Their first 'official photographers' were the firm of Dolamore & Bullock, followed by Cundall & Fleming, and then, c.1860, Bedford Lemere & Co., who were based at No. 147, Strand, London.

Arrangement

The arrangement of the photographs within the volume follows the publication order of Bedford Lemere & Co.'s 'Specimens in the Royal Architectural Museum, Westminster, London', (London, 1872) and 'Details from Early English Cathedrals' (London, 1874).

Alternative Form Available

Copies of the volume of the 1872 'Specimens in the Royal Architectural Museum...' are held by the British Architectural Library, London, Bristol University Library and the A.D. White Photographs Rare & Manuscript Collections Cornell University, New York. Copies of the 1874 volume of 'Specimens in the Royal Architectural Museum...' are held by the British Library, London and the University of Exeter Library.

Related Material

The archive of Bedford Lemere & Co. is held at the National Monuments Record, Swindon.

Bibliography

Leith, I, 'A century of picture making: the Bedford Lemere Archive', English Heritage Collections Review, 4 (2003), pp. 134-139.