Museums and Palaces

A Museum based on one of the only two 19th century photography studios in Portugal, originally acquired in 1865 by Vicente Gomes da Silva (1827-1906). Its collection includes scenarios, cameras, specialised furniture, frames with original photographs, books on photographic techniques and a valuable photographic archive of about one and a half million copies. The collection dates back to the 1850s and there is also a section on cinema.

The original Atelier received two important distinctions for its photographic work: the first was granted in 1866 by the Austro-Hungarian Empire, following the portrait of the Empress Elizabeth, commonly known as "Sisi", captured by Gomes da Silva. In 1903, his son, Vicente Júnior, was awarded the title of "Photographer of the Portuguese Royal House”, for his photographic records of Carlos I of Portugal (1863-1908) and Queen Amélia of Orléans (1865-1951).

It remained in business for four generations until the 1970s. The Regional Government of Madeira acquired the entire collection of the studio in 1979, which was inaugurated on 22 March 1982 already as a Museum. In 2014, it was closed for requalification works and reopened in July 2019. In addition to maintaining the memory of the original Atelier, it is now affirmed as the only national museum entirely dedicated to photography, revealing Madeira's photographic heritage and many of its authors and works unknown until today.

Amongst the Museum's collection is not only Vicente's collection, but also the collections of other professional and amateur photographers, as well as audiovisual material from the Regional Secretariat of Tourism and Transport. In this format, besides the reconstitution of the atelier, the museum presents the history of photographic processes, from the daguerreotype to the first colour photographs, passing through the magic lantern devices and stereoscopy. The permanent exhibition space includes the holdings of practically all the great Madeira photography houses of the 19th and 20th centuries; the temporary exhibition displays new works on a regular basis.