Museum of London photography show travels to New York for Olympics
27 July - 2 December 2012
The Museum of London today announced that its popular London Street Photography exhibition will travel to the Museum of the City of New York.
The display has been timed to coincide with the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. It will open on 27 July 2012 and run until 2 December 2012.
London Street Photography was first on display at the Museum of London in 2010, showcasing photographs from 1860 to 2010 and attracting around 125,000 visitors – making it the Museum’s most popular temporary exhibition to date. The exhibition demonstrates how street photography has evolved over the years and the way in which it helps us understand the dynamism and energy of the capital. The photographs offer a fascinating visual documentation of the evolving city - a true snapshot through time.
The exhibition contains approximately 150 photographs, all from the Museum of London’s extraordinary photographic collection, including work by well-known photographers such as John Thomson, Paul Martin, Henry Grant and Roger Mayne, alongside images by contemporary street photographers. It also includes a fascinating film created by the Museum of London for the exhibition, in which four street photographers from different generations – Wolfgang Suschitzky, Paul Trevor, Matt Stuart and Polly Braden – reflect on their motivations and what they try to achieve with their images.
All the photographs in the exhibition contain an element of chance – a defining characteristic of street photography. Whether it’s a fleeting expression, a brief encounter or a momentary juxtaposition, every piece has a sense of spontaneity and movement.
David Spence, Interim Director of the Museum of London, said:
“I am thrilled that the Museum of the City of New York will exhibit London Street Photography, especially during this important year for London as it hosts the Olympic and Paralympic Games. This summer the world’s eyes will be on London and images of the city will be broadcast across the globe. What better time then for New Yorkers to be able to glimpse into the everyday lives of Londoners from 1860 to the present day through these fascinating photographs. The exhibition captures moments of city life in a way that only street photography can, the ‘rumble of the tremendous human mill’ as Henry James described London. I hope that visitors to the exhibition enjoy sharing this visual history of London and feel a little closer to experiencing our extraordinary city”.
This summer the Museum of London will itself host two Olympic-inspired exhibitions. Opening on 22 June 2012, Our Londinium 2012 considers some of the influences of Roman London and the Roman Empire that can still be seen and felt in the city today. Londinium – as Roman London was known – was the first city to be built right here, so what better time to re-consider that city than now, as the world’s eyes are upon London and the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
In addition, from 13 July over 30,000 photographs will make up a LomoWall at the Museum of London featuring analogue pictures responding to the brief “inspiring and achieving in London’s Olympic and Paralympic year”.
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