The V&A is pleased to announce a new doctoral placement opportunity for the 2025–2026 academic year. As part of our commitment to supporting early-career researchers, the V&A offers a range of doctoral placements designed in collaboration with museum staff. These placements give PhD students the opportunity to contribute to live research projects while gaining practical experience with collections, cataloguing, and exhibition planning.
This placement will support the research and cataloguing of works by 19th-century British photographer Roger Fenton in preparation for a forthcoming touring exhibition and publication. The V&A holds a significant number of Fenton’s photographs, including more than 650 prints in the RPS collection, along with additional works acquired by the South Kensington Museum.
The placement researcher will conduct a comprehensive survey of Fenton’s photographs, contribute to improving catalogue records, and identify previously overlooked aspects of his career. Their work will provide essential research to inform curatorial interpretation and exhibition development.
Possible outcomes;
- Survey of Roger Fenton’s works in the V&A collection and the RPS
archives - Enhanced catalogue entries and updates to Explore the Collection
(ETC) records - Scoping report identifying previously overlooked aspects of
Fenton’s career - Research support for curators, assisting in the development of an
object list and key themes for an exhibition and publication
V&A Museum
Unpaid, PhD placement
Interviews: 19 June
Closes: 30 May 2025
Possible start dates: w/c 29 September 2025 – 29 October 2025
Details: https://vam.current-vacancies.com/Jobs/Advert/3840794?cid=3279
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