ASMR at the museum | Take a photo with a Victorian sliding box camera | V&A

// Listen with headphones for best experience //
Join Assistant Curator Hana Kaluznick as she shows us a Victorian sliding box camera made in about 1880, and demonstrates how it would have been used. The sliding box camera advanced how photographs were taken in the 19th century, allowing the photographer to vary the focal length. This meant that they could get closer to, or further away from, the subject than ever before.
Watch and listen as Hana shows us the details of the camera including the engraved silver lens and original label, before carefully adjusting the length of the box and sliding open the mahogany plate holder.
00:00 What is a sliding box camera?
00:51 Details of the camera: engraved silver lens, labels
01:40 Mechanics of the camera
02:13 Sliding the box open by twisting knob, to adjust focal length
02:50 Tapping on the hollow camera, no electronics inside
03:07 How to use a sliding box camera
03:25 Ground glass
04:09 Sliding open the plate holder
06:35 Victorian studio photography and examples taken with a sliding box camera
07:15 Contemporary use of the camera
See more cameras and photography in our Photography Centre: www.vam.ac.uk/info/photograph...
See more objects from our photography collection: www.vam.ac.uk/collections/pho...
More ASMR at the museum: • ASMR at the museum

[@wildrunner101]

Is there anything better than learning AND relaxing?

[@mud2479]

Learnaxing 😌

[@emzzzz905]

And I it was 20 mins longer! Longer learnaxing!

[@donihee137]

No.

[@vamuseum]

Can confirm: there isn't 😌

[@lamecasuelas2]

Yes, learning, relaxing and ice cream

[@lexigriffin5347]

Please bring Hana back 🙏 she did an amazing job and was so informative and relaxing at the same time! She has the perfect voice for asmr

[@MsKishwish]

👏I 👏am 👏going👏 to 👏need 👏a 👏full 👏series 👏of 👏all 👏10 👏cameras👏 This was just part 1 of 10! This woman is amazing and knowledgeable!

[@arwenmoczygemba4842]

Same here!

[@nickcurry77]

Please these videos are amazing and are the definition of unintentional asmr not whispering just soft spoken with slight enthusiasm with real knowledge

[@vamuseum]

👏subscribe👏and👏we👏will👏drop👏more👏

[@MsKishwish]

​@@vamuseumI am subscribed!

[@chubberinaWhispers]

Truly Her voice is so relaxing

[@Finitetoast]

She has a fantastic voice for this! Please show us more cameras!

[@vamuseum]

Make sure you're subscribed...we might have some more 📸👂

[@LovelyEyeCandy]

@@vamuseumplease bring her back!! Her voice is literally one of the most soothing and it’s gotten me to actually pay attention to all the details

[@franster3495]

Perfect voice, perfect content, so relaxing and interesting.

[@sarahsteventon1]

Please please please can we have some more of these!!! Especially from the fabulous people like this lady who can actually do soft spoken/whisper. Simply glorious to listen too but also incredibly interesting to learn Thank you!!! 👏

[@annawalk6159]

I really hope Hana does more of these videos!!!! Her voice is PERFECT!!!! I haven’t had tingles in such a long time, I was losing hope. I was lucky to come across this video and was able to relax enough to fall asleep with ease! More of Hana, please!!!❤❤

[@nathanbutcher1]

These old cameras were amazing. The depth that the glass plates capture is incredible. Better than any modern camera can do even now. I’ve seen a couple in real life and the image quality and depth is second to none

[@Greystorm1619]

Loved seeing her image in the ground glass as a way to visually demonstrate the processes she's talking about

[@StellaMariaGiulia]

Such a beautiful camera I second that we need more antique photography!

[@ygScrim]

Please make her the designated ASMR curator!! Her voice is so soothing!

[@sarahbirdcage7814]

All of the tingles with this one, thank you. Well done 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@kckaitlyn17]

ASMR at the Museum is a brilliant series. I only just discovered it yesterday so I have plenty of content to dig in to. 🎉😊 Thank you, V&A!

[@ninehaze]

ASMR at the museum is some of the most interesting ASMR made. Thank you so much!!

[@AimAssistonGeo]

as a photographer, i am in awe

[@nuitarik]

So happy the series is continuing every new episode is fascinating and relaxing

[@heidiwooller4071]

Dont stop making these videos, i just love them.

[@nickcurry77]

That last sentence was asmr gold

[@My.Dear.Journal]

I didn't know this is what I needed!!

[@_pagliari_2612]

Wake up besties new v&a asmr video dropped

[@bettinarossi7908]

Yes!Finally!!!😊

[@gonnabeayogi1445]

… but …. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz ❤

[@moonscape7564]

YAY SO HAPPY WE NEED MORE

[@EternalNyappy]

I want all the cameras or a few to be intorduced by her and then edited into a longer compilation, so I can fall asleep to it. So interesting and calming. These videos are such great promo to your collection, I am setting V&A as my top priority if I ever visit UK.

[@blueberry8102]

I love these videos 🫶🫶

[@takuna.]

Please never stop doing these!

[@elyset911]

I am in love with their ASMR series ❤. Ooh, would love a long one!

[@AngM-lu7cb]

Early cameras are impressive for their time…Her voice is perfect for this.

[@WhateverIsTrue01]

When another episode of your fave asmr and museum collab EVER drops 😍😍

[@ptb3335]

Such an amazing advertisement for the museum, also great to see the interesting objects that are being spoke about. Relaxing and engaging, whilst being educational. Top shelf content.

[@brianaa96]

I’m so glad to see a new asmr video. I missed this series so much

[@stormblessed2321]

Yes!!!!! Finally!!!!! Never stop doing these.

[@shay5555]

LOVE the combination of history and learning and ASMR. Thank you for making this series.

[@oscarwf9716]

need hannah in the credits at the end really, not just "with thanks to"! She absolutely made this video great

[@betholivia99]

Didn’t expect to fall asleep to this last night. Thank you for the ASMR quality 😊

[@jeffkeith637]

The tingles! Wow. Thanks V&A. Such a great series.

[@emmelulukn]

Thank you all so much!! It is so wonderful to learn something new in a relaxed environment. Your videos really help me when I get stressed out at work or can't sleep. I also love watching them to learn and about preservation. Bless you all! ❤️💋

[@kalai_doscope]

Give this woman a raise

[@oliviagrant1910]

I wish they’d used a piece of silver coated photo paper to take a real photo. That would’ve been the icing on the cake to this already wonderful video.

[@KrystalMA100]

I think this is my new favorite ASMR at the museum! So tingly and such an interesting subject ❤

[@celeenpalm8711]

She needs to do more videos!

[@justkelly2]

Amazing voice and sounds!

[@conburgundy]

Omg she is really good at ASMR

[@M-J-B]

This is an incredible video, and has surprisingly sparked an interest in photography without real film or photos. Fascinating

[@amyfrosty]

Wow her voice 🤩🤩🤩

[@misszelly5065]

this was amazingly well done

[@amyh6248]

Oh my Lord, this is awesome ASMR. Please do more!!!!

[@WILDCAT808]

bro I keep rewinding the video to the start her voice is something else it is so relaxing listening from my studio speakers is amazing

[@spicyy_dicey5580]

Omg I missed these

[@byronsbrain]

Amazing! thank you for sharing this camera with us.

[@Yuyu99000]

Never eeeeever stop making these pretty please! 🖤🖤🖤

[@mawmawd627]

Nice tingles! Great video!

[@duppylove]

That voice could tell me anything, danced wonderfully across this mind. All this was so nice, everyone be good to each other.

[@Delilah.Elizabeth]

Interesting and relaxing. Looking forward to more ASMR. Thank you! 💜📸

[@johnm2450]

Please get her on another asmr video!!

[@Rikki-Tikki-Tavi]

This woman is a natural - more Hana, please!

[@vamuseum]

Make sure you're subscribed so you don't miss her!

[@JackieDraws]

More Hana please!

[@rocketaroo]

Her voice melts me

[@alessandroaverchi7067]

We need one hour versions of these! Although the content was way too interesting to fall asleep!

[@CarpeDiemFluctuatNecMergitur]

I really loved this video ❤ Natural from this channel to bring interesting information with relaxing methods such as her voice and tact ✨ More of this 🤎🧡 Thanks

[@BuriedTeeth]

This was great! I want more!

[@RL4422]

This was brilliant

[@ShootingStarASMR]

More of these videos please ❤

[@analogemma]

As a wet-plate photographer and an asmr lover this is awesome

[@paulcozart7110]

Wonderful indeed.

[@noeljordanracca723]

Fascinating!

[@gs8323]

This video is fantastic :D

[@jj-if6it]

Wish I had a job like being a curator at a museum like the V&A. I wanted to do it at uni, but there just aren't enough jobs in Australia. What a dream

[@jill5006]

Amazing!

[@ER-nh9ss]

Omg this is rediculously relaxing and informative, i loved everything about this video. I hope you guys consider doing more 😊

[@larrya7360]

Really nice ASMR! Perfect voice, but needs to be about an hour longer.

[@lamecasuelas2]

I got a deja vu at the end

[@Modifiedparts31]

Great voice. But please also bring back SUSANA FAJARDO!!!!! The conservation lady!

[@Chrisbilly253]

Super pretty 😊

[@imkerrusin]

Great job on the camera collection so far. I'd like to see some insight on one of the Eastman-Kodak models on display.

[@knower-ctf2024]

Please make more asmr , amazing voice

[@SuperJoker759]

Nice

[@DT_Worlds_Strongest_Goth]

More plz I especially want more old ass books

[@gerryfedde3040]

Makes me wonder how long a camera like this took to construct. Evidently quite awhile as evidence by the intricate dovetailing on the side panels and closely fitted brass fixtures. Focusing on upside down subjects as seen in box cameras of that time always struck me almost as tricky as guessing the time it took to get the sharpest image.

[@wheelmanstan]

All the stuff back then that's made of plastic now was wood..experts had to know how to manipulate wood to get the shapes and fits down to basically machined part tolerances or high precision. When you look at the Ancient Egyptian's, they basically did this with stone. Extremely impressive work. We discovered petroleum though, and so our world is a plastic world, for better or for worse. It'll probably be our demise, but the point is when we think of technology we envision it done with plastic (mold it, 3D print it and shape it and mass produce it this way, which is usually FAR easier and a much more predictable material) while the folks of the past thought in terms of wood or stone. Anyway the craftsmanship is amazing. It all tells a story. An expert can look at that and tell you the order each part was cut and assembled, how many steps it took, how many machines it took and people it took and how long it took to make it. Anything made of wood today costs a lot. Practically nothing is solid wood now..hold onto that old furniture.

[@defyingtheodds1987]

We are spoiled with 10-30 shots per second in our modern cameras when this camera probably took 5 minutes to set up for one photo. So crazy.

[@veryberry39]

My boyfriend just commented the other day on people in old photographs always looking so serious, and I explained the long exposure times (which is why babies so often had blurred features). I didn't know all the other workings, though, like what the cover was for or what that slide-in panel did! Last note: I don't mean to sound ungrateful, they probably don't have a lot of time to devote to video making, but I really do wish these videos were a bit longer! I know an hour is out of the question, but we could've gotten at least 15 minutes from the rest of the collection, right? >_> (She really did have a wonderful voice for it!)

[@lunamoondrop]

❤

[@Backto5oh5]

Y'all lost me at the Dollshouse but I'm glad you came back with this!

[@hannahpoland4267]

No matter how many times this is explained to me, I’ll never fully understand how this works 😂

[@rjlinth6599]

Can Hana come back for episode 2 please? 🤞🏻

[@jameslane3846]

Love the ASMR - this type of camera is actually called a tailboard. They are still manufactured by hand to order today

[@theeroking4676]

Play this in .75 speed it’s way better for same

[@chubberinaWhispers]

Omg thanks. Very tingly this way

[@mm76.9]

Sorry for simping, but her smile is the best. And she's perfect for this. Her and Catriona are my favorites.

[@justpixelven]

I want to be a curator , even do it for free because of these videos.

[@franzi.p]

What does one have to do in order to work at the V&A?

[@joshewert13]

Please show all 10 cameras

[@jenl2530]

Not all sounds are equal. I found wood on wood and wood on foam core more disturbing than relaxing. Would have liked to have seen more of the camera, such as the inside perspective. Also, what type of plate does this camera take? Glass? How did the photographer calculate focal length for this camera? How long is the typical exposure? Toxicity of chemicals? Video could be somewhat longer.

[@heroicrockstar]

Watch this, then listen to little fluffy clouds by the orb 😁

[@rubybrookman2152]

Do I need a chemistry qualification to do this job sry for asking

[@valentinah3601]

I literally thought this was Maude Apatow

[@inkoftheworld]

how did they get those children to sit so still for the photo?

[@abbieburland9990]

Can you get them to whisper ?

[@jordanfurr6646]

The glass was etched with sandwich breath

[@mikehutchinson2191]

she could read me anything.

[@liamdoran9223]

Alexa Grace 😏

[@lydiacordero5245]

❤