People across the UK are being called on to submit their family images which could be displayed at one of the nation's most prestigious art galleries.
Over 1,000 family photos have been submitted to The Nation’s Family Album so far, with entrants in with the chance of having their family images and stories included in a digital exhibition, as well as being displayed at the iconic National Portrait Gallery, in London, once it reopens in 2023. The gallery has partnered with family history experts Ancestry in the search for undiscovered portraits of everyday British people.
Two esteemed judges will be joining the panel of experts shortlisting the portraits that best encapsulate the project’s themes of Belonging, Legacy, Connection & Identity; Royal and family portrait photographer, Millie Pilkington, and baritone Peter Brathwaite - renowned for his series of photographs, Rediscovering Black Portraiture. National Portrait Gallery’s chief curator, Dr Alison Smith, and family history expert Simon Pearce from Ancestry will make up the rest of the judging panel.
Millie Pilkington said: “It is an honour to be working alongside Ancestry and the National Portrait Gallery on this inspiring initiative for the nation. Every photograph has a story to tell, but what I look for in particular are images that capture the spirit of the sitter, or the moment, and that provide some kind of ‘biographical’ insight to their personality and background. And the icing on the cake is when these are achieved with nice light in an interesting composition. I’m genuinely excited to discover the multitude of unique and fascinating family history stories within the entries!”
Peter Brathwaite added: “Everyone has a connection to the past and photos of our family - past and present - bring to life this history in a powerful way, whether that’s through a pang of nostalgia from looking at an old family holiday photo, or a moment of connection when we ‘see ourselves’ in a picture of an ancestor from generations ago. It’s a pleasure to be supporting Ancestry and the National Portrait Gallery with such a powerful project that represents the multitude of families living in Britain today - and the people from all around the world that came before them.”
It comes as Ancestry revealed that less than a quarter (23 per cent) of Brits display family photos in their homes.
With the family portrait once holding prime position in the home, only 13 per cent of Brits currently hang their family photos on their walls and one in ten (10 per cent) display them elsewhere, such as on shelves or mantle pieces. Others store their family images digitally, either on their smartphone (15 per cent) or their computer (13 per cent).
The research also found that photos of children (35 per cent) are the most likely to be on show, followed by grandchildren (14 per cent) and parents (14 per cent) with people also putting up ‘pawtraits’ of their pets (7 per cent). Despite one in 10 (11 per cent) admitting to not having any photos of their family on show, more than a third (34 per cent) say they want more family photos, rising to 45 per cent amongst those aged 18 to 34.
The findings also revealed that nearly a quarter (24 per cent) of Brits haven’t had a photo taken with their family in over a year, with people most likely to take them during special occasions such as weddings (27 per cent), birthdays (36 per cent) and during the winter festive season (29 per cent).
People from Manchester and Bristol are proudest of their family photos, displaying an average of 19 family photos in their home, followed by Londoners who showcase an average of 18 family photos.
Everyone in the UK is invited to upload their favourite family images to The Nation’s Family Album by Thursday, June 30, 2022. For more information about how to submit your family photographs, and entry terms & conditions, visit www.ancestry.co.uk/FamilyAlbum
Additionally, a collection of 125,000 digitised portraits from the National Portrait Gallery is now available for Ancestry users to access for free. Printed copies of the portraits can be bought from the National Portrait Gallery shop: www.npg.org.uk/shop/npgprints
