Madeira Photography Museum – Atelier Vicente's

The Madeira Photography Museum – Atelier Vicente's is located in the former photographic studio of Vicente Gomes da Silva (1827-1906), who began working as a portraitist in around 1853, subsequently acquiring the building located at Rua da Carreira in 1865 and establishing his "Atelier Fotográfico" there. Between December 1886 and August 1887, under the direction of Vicente Gomes da Silva Junior (1857- 1933), the old "atelier" was enlarged. The building has retained the resulting design to this day, becoming a symbol of the architecture of 19th-century photographic studios.

Four subsequent generations of the Vincente family worked in the studio, passing on "the art of photography" from one generation to the next.

On 13 June 1979, the Government of the Autonomous Region of Madeira acquired the building and contents of the "Photographia Vicente" studio and adapted the space as a small museum.

On 22 March 1982, this space was opened to the public as Photographia – Museu Vicentes, featuring the entire contents of the studio, including backdrops, cameras, books on photographic technique, studio furniture, and more.

Since 27 November 1984, the date of the first acquisition from Perestrellos Photographos, Ltd., the museum has also acquired photographic archives from other photography houses and professional and amateur photographers, including:

- João António Bianchi (Viscount of Vale Paraíso, 1862-1928) - Major Charles Courtney Shaw (1878-1971)

- Gino Romoli (1906-1982)

- Perestrellos Photographos

- Augusto João Soares (1885-1970)

- Francisco João Barreto (1877-1934)

- Álvaro Crawford Nascimento Figueira (1885-1967)

- Alexander Lamont Henderson (1838-1907)

- Joaquim Augusto de Sousa (1853-1905)

- João Anacleto Rodrigues (1869-1948)

- Foto Figueiras

- João Francisco Camacho (1833-1898)

- Aluízio Cezar de Bettencourt (1838-1895)

- Foto Arte

- Foto Joaquim Figueira, a photography studio founded in 1946 by Joaquim Gomes Figueira (1912-1995) - Russel Manners Gordon (3rd Viscount and the 1st Count of Torre Bela, 1829-1906)

- Carlos Fotógrafo, a photography studio founded by Carlos Fernandes (1930-2017)

- Alberto Camacho Brandão (1884-1945)

- Foto Sol (1951-1980), a photography studio founded in 1951 by Consuelo Santos (1932-2007)

- João Pestana (1929-2017)

The building in which the Madeira Photography Museum – Atelier Vicente's is located was classified as a "Property of Regional Cultural Value" by Resolution 78/91 of 24 January, and converted by Ordinance 34/2004 of 1 March into a "Property of Public Interest".

On 3 August 2004, the entire "Vicente" property was acquired by the Government of the Autonomous Region of Madeira.

After being closed for reclassification and renovation works, the Madeira Photography Museum – Atelier Vicente's reopened on 29 July 2019.

The Museum is organised in four main spaces: the Studio, which remains as it was in the 19th century; the Permanent Exhibition, with collections from the Museum; a space for Temporary Exhibitions; and another for Multimedia activities.

The museum also features a Shop, Educational Services and a Café.