London, 15 April, 2013: Getty Images Gallery is delighted to announce the launch of its latest exhibition celebrating a selection of unique and iconic imagery from the Getty Images Archive, the world’s largest commercial photography archive with a collection of over 90 million images.
The exhibition, Best of Archive, offers a glimpse into a historical and extremely valuable treasure trove of imagery, including vintage prints dating from the late 19th century. With over 90 million images, of which just 0.1 per cent are digitized, Best of Archive brings this magnificent collection alive and in front of Londoners.
In addition to a number of the most iconic and popular images from the archive, the exhibition will also feature lesser seen work by Getty Images’ most cherished archive photographers, including Bert Hardy, Eugene Robert Richee, with estate-stamped and signed prints from Ernst Haas and Slim Aarons. The exceptional photographic content ranges from reportage and social documentary, fashion and portraiture, cultural commentary to architectural studies.
Each of the images illustrates an engagement with the world – a face from a troubled time looking you in the eye, or a moment of joy caught forever dancing. Many were designed to be part of a series, but away from this context they are able to stand alone as a visually arresting image in their own right.
The exhibition will also showcase rarely seen original contact sheets. These illustrate the working methods of the photographer or editor, revealing the detailed processes of photography that have been lost to the digital age.
Louise Garczewska, Director, Getty Images Gallery, says: “To truly bring to light the Best of Archive, we would have needed to take over the entire length of Eastcastle Street, so instead we have filled our corner with a small showcase of the world’s finest photography. We are delighted that this collection will give our visitors a flavor of the quality and scale of the archive.”
Best of Archive runs from Wednesday 1st May to Saturday 1 June and admission is free.
The Getty Images Gallery is situated in central London, just a stone’s throw away from Oxford Circus. Opening hours are Monday to Friday 10am-5.30pm and Saturday 12pm-5.30pm. www.gettyimagesgallery.com
