The Best Photography Galleries in London

In October 2018, the Photography Centre opened on level 3 of the V&A museum in South Kensington. Designed by David Kohn Architects, the centre is the first step in a plan to expand access to the V&A photography collection, which is made of around 800,000 photographs. From pioneering female photographers, including Julia Margaret Cameron and Cindy Sherman, to 20th-century male photographic artists and photojournalists, such as Alfred Stieglitz and Walker Evans, the centre presents an eclectic selection of prints and archival material charting the development of photography.

Tucked away just off Piccadilly, Huxley-Parlour focuses on photographers who have played a significant role in art history and shaping the field of photography, as well as showing art in other media. Formerly Beetles+Huxley, this is probably the best photography gallery London has when it comes to influential photographers and estates, presenting exhibitions by leading artists including Cecil Beaton, Elliott Erwitt, Bruce Davidson, Joel Meyerowitz, Alec Soth, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Steve McCurry and Vivian Maier.

The Photographers’ Gallery is a calm haven just off bustling Oxford Street. It showcases some of the best established and up-and-coming names in the field. As it’s the largest public gallery in London dedicated solely to photography, you can expect to find a treasure trove of historical photographs of London and beyond, as well as fantastic exhibitions. Previous shows have ranged from the traditional Japanese-inspired prints of Miho Kajioka to documentary photos of the Russian Arctic.

One of the earliest specialised photography galleries in London, Hamiltons, founded in 1977, offers novel perspectives on some of the giants of 20th-century and contemporary photography. In a striking exhibition space, the likes of Don McCullin, Irving Penn, Nobuyoshi Araki and Annie Leibovitz have had their work displayed. The gallery has a reputation for representing the true masters of the field, so it’s unsurprising the exhibitions here never fail to reflect a striking level of prestige.

Based on a quiet street in the upmarket district of Chelsea, the Michael Hoppen Gallery, named after the founder, has been showing off all forms of photography for more than 20 years. The ground floor showcases world-renowned contemporary photographers chosen or represented by Michael Hoppen, such as William Klein and his striking photojournalism, which frames the open space. The staircase up to the second-floor gallery is wallpapered with nostalgic features and reviews of celebrated exhibitions over the years, leading to a reading room displaying pieces from the likes of Peter Beard around a well-stocked reference library. The gallery represents a long list of artists, covering fine art, wildlife, journalism, fashion and many other forms of photography – and it’s well worth stopping by to sample what’s currently on show or to purchase unusual prints from some of the best photographers in the world.

Just a short walk down King’s Road is Iconic Images (formerly the Little Black Gallery), a gallery dedicated to historic photographic archives. From striking imagery of political figures to music icons, this fascinating London gallery presents some of the more iconic photography exhibitions in the capital, including those featuring the work of Norman Parkinson, Terrence Donovan, John Swannell, and the best of Terry O’Neill – the British photographer who made his name shooting the stars of the 1960s.

Atlas Gallery in Marylebone specialises in 20th-century photography, photojournalism and fashion photography. Having celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2014, the gallery continues to curate around six unique exhibitions each year, presenting the work of their represented artists, including Danny Lyon, Nick Brandt, William Klein, Arthur Elgort and Jimmy Nelson.