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National Portrait Gallery

The National Portrait Gallery is in the middle of a major digitisation project, which will eventually allow people to see all of their collection online, not just the fraction that is showing in the galleries at any one time.



As part of the project, the Gallery is also beginning to group portraits by themes, profession and ethnicity. You can check some of the recent groupings that have been added by following the link below.

Groups of sitters by theme at the National Portrait Gallery

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 photo shows robed older man with long white beard and a hat
Sir Rabindranath Tagore - the great Bengali poet and philosopher, photographed here by W. Fearon Halliday. Courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery


Asian: Indian | North America: American | North, West & Southern Europe: Irish

Asian: Indian

The National Portrait Gallery has gathered images in their collection associated with the British Raj. Almost all are of British colonial administrators - with the exception of one showing Mir Jaffier with Robert Clive after the Battle of Plassey, 1757 which is on display in the gallery.

The Collection also holds many images of Indian Nationalists - from Gandhi to Syed Ameer Ali, although these haven't yet been catalogued together online.


The Raj And The Indian Subcontinent At The National Portrait Gallery

Gandhi (Indira and M.K) at the National Portrait Gallery

North America: American

Follow the link below for 150 American sitters and artist identified in the National Portrait Gallery collections.

Americans in the NPG collections


North, West & Southern Europe: Irish

Explore Irish sitters and artists in the National Portrait Gallery collection by following the link below.

Irish sitters and artists at the NPG


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World In The East End At Museum In Docklands

photo shows lascars in 19th c

This image of 19th century lascars is just one of the pictures held by the Museum In Docklands, recording the history of the Port of London as it received people and goods from all over the world. The museum building is itself part of that history - being a renovated warehouse that one stored goods brought into the city.

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Search The Diverse Collections Of The Museum Of London Online

photo shows asian man in smart victorian dress with top hat

The Museum Of London's new microsite allows you to search for the story of the many cultures of London in their collections.

This image shows Sir Mancherjee Bhownaggree, MP for Bethnal Green 1895 - 1906. A supporter of British rule in India, he was nicknamed 'bow-the-knee' by opponents. However he also lobbied parliament on the rights of Indian subjects.

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