The National Museum of Iceland, inaugurated in 1950

TWENTY YEARS OF PHOTOGRAPHY AT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM

The National Museum of Iceland is one of the country’s principal museums. Founded in 1863, more than 160 years ago, it was originally called the Antiquities Collection until 1911, when it received its current name. Initially, the museum’s collection had no permanent home but was housed in various locations, including the Reykjavik Cathedral, the Correctional House on Skólavörðustígur, the Parliament House, the Landsbanki building in Austurstræti, and from 1908, on the top floor of the House of Collections in Hverfisgata. When the republic was established 80 years ago, the Althing decided to provide the museum with its own building. It was moved from the Library House to a new building at the corner of Suðurgata and Hringbraut in 1950, where it remains today. In 2004, the exhibition space Myndasalur (Photography Hall) was opened on the first floor. The hall has always been dedicated to contemporary photography, with the National Museum emphasizing works that reflect the creativity of Icelandic photographers. The current exhibition is a retrospective, presenting a selection of photographs that have been shown in Myndasalur over the past two decades.