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From Ilford to the world

Set up around five miles east of Storehouse in 1879, the Ilford photographic factory produced glass plates, films, paper and developing chemicals. Soon its factories spread across Britain and its products sold worldwide. Many young artists today embrace film photography and Ilford film stock is still used. Ilford’s presence is felt throughout the V&A collection – prints often arrive in their iconic black and white photo paper boxes. The transfer of the Royal Photographic Society Collection to the V&A in 2017 saw the arrival of many Ilford cameras, papers and leaflets.

Written by: Royal Photographic Society project team
Published: April, 2026

Collecting Stories