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The birth of photography, the Silversmith's Art, and Helmand explored at National Museums Scotland

January 2015

National Museums Scotland has revealed its exhibitions programme for 2015.

Exhibitions and events explore a diverse range of themes, from the legends of the computer gaming world to the pioneers of photography, and from the battlefields of Waterloo to an intimate insight into British troops' final tour of Afghanistan.

A further two exhibitions will explore the themes of fashion and design, in celebration of four new galleries being planned at the National Museum of Scotland. These four new galleries are part of a £14.1 million project which will create ten new galleries displaying National Museums Scotland's internationally important collections of science and technology, decorative art, design and fashion.

Headlining the calendar of exhibitions are two major shows at the National Museum of Scotland: the first exploring the creative world of the videogame, and the second examining a technological revolution from another era – Victorian photography.

Running until 20 April 2015, Game Masters features over 100 playable games spanning a period when gaming evolved from a niche interest to a global industry. Pac-Man, Sonic the Hedgehog, Super Mario and Angry Birds are just some of the computer gaming legends included. Scotland's own contributions are explored through playable games and original artwork, including scripts and early sketches for Grand Theft Auto and Lemmings lent by leading figures from the Scottish gaming industry.

Photography: A Victorian Sensation, opening on 19 June 2015, will introduce the pioneers of photography and explore the Victorian craze for the photograph. The birth of photography caused a sensation in Victorian society – images of never-seen-before celebrities, from famous authors to the Royal family, could be reproduced for the public to enjoy, and pictures sold in their hundreds of thousands. These early technological revelations transformed the way we capture images today, and mirror our own modern-day fascination for recording the world around us. The exhibition will chart the cross-channel rivalry between photographic innovators Louis Daguerre and William Henry Fox Talbot; examine the world of the 1851 Great Exhibition; and display some of the world's first stereophotographs. It will also feature beautiful images from Hill and Adamson, whose photography studio was based in Edinburgh, and reveal some of the remarkable stories of the people behind the pictures.

In February, a new exhibition at the National War Museum explores contemporary photography, documenting British troops' final tour of Afghanistan.

Helmand Return, at the National War Museum from 27 February 2015, is the work of renowned photographer Robert Wilson, and builds on his 2008 project Helmand: Faces of Conflict, which was exhibited at the National War Museum in 2009. In 2014 Wilson revisited Afghanistan as an official war artist, this time to record the British troops' final tour of duty. The exhibition offers a unique perspective on a much documented conflict, with many never-before recorded sights both on and off base. These photographs allow a rare insight into the process of ending war, including the packing up and disposal of equipment. In a year of retrospective imagery surrounding the centenary of the First World War, these images provide a fresh perspective on the photography of conflict.
In advance of the creation of new galleries exploring the themes of fashion, decorative art and design, the following two exhibitions take place at the National Museum of Scotland:

Express Yourself, open until 19 April 2015, celebrates contemporary jewellery and its power to help define those who collect, commission and create it. Creations by two of the UK's leading jewellers are displayed alongside jewellery commissioned by the internationally famous fashion designer Jean Muir and an eclectic selection of pieces once owned by Terry Brodie-Smith, a prolific collector, who revelled in wearing his collection.

Opening on 18 September 2015, The Silversmith's Art: Made in Britain Today will present work from the renowned Contemporary Silver Collection of the Goldsmiths' Company, London, dating from the Millennium to the present day. The 150 chosen exhibits – the work of 60 silversmiths – are some of the most treasured of the Collection, showing a progression of design styles as well as the individual artistic personalities of the makers themselves. All items, selected by the Goldsmiths' Company, richly contribute to our British heritage of decorative art.

This summer, the National Museum of Scotland also commemorates the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo.

Waterloo: After the Battle, opening 15 May 2015, will mark the 200th anniversary of this epoch-ending battle in European history. This small exhibition will examine the many resonances of the battle within Scotland, from public celebrations to political unrest, and from the involvement of Scottish Regiments to the celebrity of veterans.

In commemoration of the centenary of the First World War, National Museums Scotland will also be touring a special exhibition to venues across Scotland.

Next of Kin, at the National War Museum until 8 February 2015, presents a picture of Scotland during the First World War through treasured objects from official and private sources, passed to close relatives and down through generations. From 21 March 2015 the exhibition will begin a tour of eight venues around Scotland – beginning at the Dumfries Museum and culminating, in 2017, at the Orkney Museum – thanks to support from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Scottish Government. As the exhibition tours, the host venues will develop additional content using their own objects and stories related to their respective local areas.

Image: National Museums Scotland

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