Art Galleries

Hattie Lloyd 09/06/24


The Photographers’ Gallery

In central London and ready to snap?

If you’re finding the bustle of Oxford Street too much, dart between the buildings on Ramillies Street and spend an hour or two in The Photographers’ Gallery.

The gallery was first opened in 1971 and was the UK’s first space dedicated entirely to the medium of photography. Now in its second home – opened in 2012 in an old textiles warehouse – it has established itself as instrumental for promoting photography as a significant art form.

Set over multiple floors, The Photographers’ Gallery offers three exhibition spaces, an education and learning studio, a café (thank the lord) and a print sales gallery which, unlike lots of public galleries, hosts free exhibitions in which the pieces can be purchased – an integral part of supporting both the gallery and its artists since its foundation.

photographers gallery exhibitions

Letizia Battaglia

The Photographers Gallery doesn’t house a permanent collection, but instead stages a rolling programme of visiting exhibitions, as well as talks, courses and events. Now showing until 23rd February 2025 is a trio of great shows: Letizia Battaglia: Life, Love and Death in Sicily, a solo show for the pioneering photographer; Deborah Turbeville: Photocollage, which explores the avant-garde fashion photography of the late American artist; and Ten.8 In Focus: The Legacy of Black Image and Body Politics, an archival deep dive into two issues of the renowned photographers’ journal.

Outside, meanwhile, you can check out the Soho Photography Quarter, an old alleyway that’s been revamped as a kind of free al fresco gallery space, with a changing line-up of large-scale prints hung across its walls.

It’s all pretty flash.

 

NOTE: The Photographers Gallery is closed until 9th October when the new exhibitions open – then it’ll be open daily 10am-6pm (11am Sun), with late openings till 8pm on Thursdays & Fridays. There is an admission fee of £10 (£8.50 if you book in advance online), which gives you access to all the exhibitions. Entry is free on Fridays after 5pm. To find out more, head here.

The Photographers Gallery | 16-18 Ramillies Street, Soho, W1F 7LW


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The Photographers’ Gallery


The Photographers Gallery, 16-18 Ramillies Street, Soho, Central London, W1F 7LW