The Photography Museum of Madeira – Vicente’s Atelier is one of the few two 19th-century photography studios in Portugal.
Originally gained in 1865 by Vicente Gomes da Silva (1827-1906), its collection of scenery, cameras, specialised furniture, frames with original photographs, books on photographic techniques and a valuable photographic archive, with about one and a half million copies dating back to the 1950s in the 19th century. There is also a section dedicated to cinema.
Vicente’s Atelier received in its past two important distinctions for its photographic works, the first one in 1866 by the Austro-Hungarian Empire, following the portrait of the Empress Elizabeth D’Austria (1837-1898), known as “Sissi”, which Vicente Gomes da Silva photographed in 1860, where he received the title of “Photographe de Sa Majesté I’Impératrice d’Austriche”.
In 1903, his son, Vicente Junior, was awarded the title of “Photographo da Casa Real Portuguesa” for his photographic records of D. Carlos de Bragança (1863-1908) and Queen D. Amélia de Orleães (1865-1951) on the occasion of the royal visit to the island of Madeira in 1901.
In 1979, the Regional Government of Madeira gained the entire collection of this studio, which after being refurbished as a museum, was inaugurated on March 22, 1982, with the designation of Photographia – Museu “Vicentes”.
In 2014, this space closes for requalification works and reopens on July 29, 2019, entitled Madeira Photography Museum.
Besides maintaining the memory of the original Atelier, it asserts itself as the only national museum entirely dedicated to photography, revealing Madeira’s photographic heritage and many of its authors and works unknown until today.
The museum now provides a permanent exhibition space allusive to the various authors included in the collection, as well as a temporary exhibition area, which will exhibit recent works regularly.
In 2020, it was awarded the title of Museum of the Year and is a must-see space for photography lovers.
At your disposal:
– Cafeteria (soon to open)
– The shop
– Multimedia room, where a small slide show of illustrious visitors and a documentary film, usually about Madeira Island, is being shown.
– Library
– Educational Services
