BABY: Picturing the Ideal Human 1840 - Now
Gallery One
13 Feb 2009 - 19 Apr 2009
Each era has its own idea of beauty and we are continuously confronted with images of what the ideal human should look like. In particular, parents, advertisers, consumers and society in general have always preferred to see idealised images of babies. Baby: Picturing the Ideal Human follows this theme, from the birth of photography until present day; depicting the western baby through the work of famous photographers, amateurs, studio photographers and parents. In contrast, a selection of images presents a wider view that serves as an antithesis to this ideal perspective. Packed with family albums, postcards, advertising, documentary and creative photography, BABY offers a unique portrayal of babies throughout the history of photography.
This exhibition was initiated and curated by Hedy van Erp and Iris Sikking (ICON Foundation).
Future Exhibition
Baby with a Brownie camera, c1900, George Alfred Wyatt (1870-1922), National Media Museum Collection