Sian Bonnell, Beach Clean, 1999

The V&A Museum in London opens the first phase of its brand new photography centre today, with an exhibition celebrating the history of the medium, from early experiments by pioneers such as William Henry Fox Talbot and Julia Margaret Cameron, to influential modern and contemporary image-makers such as Man Ray, Walker Evans, Cindy Sherman, Martin Parr and Sian Bonnell (pictured). The new centre also chronicles the incredible developments in photographic equipment, with some 600 objects from throughout the world, including a massive installation of over 150 cameras.