National Portrait Gallery exhibition chronicles 100 years of British family life

During the Covid pandemic, these boys hadn’t been allowed to see their grandfather (Image: National Portrait Gallery) There’s no longer anything typical about the British family. As an institution, it has evolved enormously over the last century, adapting to wars, hardship, migration, good times, bad times and pandemics. But as the photographs in a new exhibition at London’s National Portrait Gallery prove, family bonds remain as tight as they ever were. Following an appeal from gallery curators last year, amateur photographers from all over the land submitted more than 2,200 family photos. Four of them are displayed in the gallery, while a further 100 can be viewed digitally. Together they celebrate the richness and diversity of British family life. ‘The photographs span more than 100 years and show, in their own way, both continuity and change,’ says chief curator Dr Alison Smith. ‘The common theme is you can always depend on your family. The family is the pillar of Britain. ‘All the photographs say so much without words. They show movement, emigration, people having to adapt and cope in difficult circumstances. What they all show is that the family is always important. ‘There is also a sense of hope as older people place their trust in the young, their hopes and aspirations being embedded in the next generation. While families are getting smaller, they are still bound together in the bond of love.’ One family attempts to recreate Leonard da Vinci’s famous painting (Image: National Portrait Gallery) The Odukoya family during the Covid pandemic (Image: National Portrait Gallery) The exhibition is supported by the family history website Ancestry. ‘Photographs are a valuable source for family history as they provide a snapshot into the everyday lives and events of our families and ancestors,’ says Simon Pearce, genealogy expert at Ancestry. ‘When a caption or backstory accompanies a photo, it can be incredibly revealing and invaluable for future generations. Viewing these images, and understanding the unique stories behind them, is a truly moving experience. ‘The hope is that the display will be a catalyst for families to capture and store their dearest moments for the future.’ The Nation’s Family Album exhibition is at the National Portrait Gallery in London until September 10.