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National Portrait Gallery: A Brief History

David Cannadine

How should the histories of galleries and museums be approached? In this outline history of the National Portrait Gallery, David Cannadine provides some fascinating suggestions.
When the idea for a National Portrait Gallery first won support in the 1850s, it was part of a British commitment to expand state support for the arts. There was a clear view on what history could teach about the role of the individual and the future of the nation. Yet today, our vision of the individuals who comprise the Collection is radically different and there has been a transformation in the scale of the Gallery's operations.
In this ambitious but incisive short history David Cannadine examines the competing claims of history and biography in the foundation and development of the Gallery. He identifies the broader context and individuals that have changed the institution, and considers why it remains at the heart of national life.

Published to accompany the John Hayes lecture.

David Cannadine is Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Professor of History at the Institute of Historical Research, University of London, and Chairman of the Trustees of the National Portrait Gallery. He is also a Commissioner of English Heritage, a Trustee of the Kennedy Memorial Trust, a member of the Royal Mint Advisory Committee, a Trustee of the British Empire and Commonwealth Museum and Chairman of the Blue Plaques Panel.

Specification
210 x 139mm, 80 pages
8 illustrations
ISBN 13 - 978 1 85514 387 6
£7.99 (paperback)
Published February 2007

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All images and text are subject to copyright protection. 22 November 2008