The Best Documentary Photographers Of The Last Century

Updated: 12 December 2015

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Diane Arbus once said, ‘a photograph is a secret about a secret. The more it tells you the less you know.’ Documentary photography has always come with a great responsibility: capturing the true essence of reality. We uncover the best documentary photographers who have shared a secret from the past, for you to discover.

*Courtesy of Beetles + Huxley/Osborne Samuel © Yevgeny Khaldei*

Yevgeny Khaldei, ‘Soviet Soldiers Raising A Red Flag Over The Reichstag’,

Berlin, 1945

*Courtesy of Beetles + Huxley/Osborne Samuel © Nick Danziger*

Nick Danziger, Glasgow, ‘Broken Fire Hydrant, Parkhead’, 1994

*Courtesy of Beetles + Huxley/Osborne Samuel © Willy Ronis*

Willy Ronis, ‘Skiers at Megeve’, 1938

*Courtesy of Beetles + Huxley/Osborne Samuel © Edouard Boubat*

Edouard Boubat, ‘Café De Flore, Saint-Germain-Des-Prés, Paris’, 1953

*Courtesy of Beetles + Huxley/Osborne Samuel © Herbert Ponting*

Herbert Ponting, ‘Cavern In An Iceberg’, 1910

*Courtesy of Beetles + Huxley/Osborne Samuel © René Burri*

René Burri, ‘São Paulo’, 1960

*Courtesy of Beetles + Huxley/Osborne Samuel © Robert Capa*

Robert Capa, ‘Allied Troops in Paris Attacking Germans Entrenched in Public Buildings’, 1944

*Courtesy of Beetles + Huxley/Osborne Samuel © Robert Doisneau*

Robert Doisneau, ‘Les Lilas de Ménilmontant’, 1956

*Courtesy of Beetles + Huxley/Osborne Samuel © Tatsuo Suzuki*

Tatsuo Suzuki, ‘Shibuya’, Tokyo, 2013

*Courtesy of Beetles + Huxley/Osborne Samuel © Neil Libbert*

Neil Libbert, ‘Greyhound Station’, Las Vegas, Nevada, 1960

*Courtesy of Beetles + Huxley/Osborne Samuel © Margaret Bourke-White*

Margaret Bourke-White, ‘Aerial View of aDevelopment Tract of Single Family Houses in Muncie, Indiana’, 1937

The Photographers 2015 Exhibition portrays the most important and iconic photographs from the history of the medium. The exhibition will run from 25 November – 23 December 2015, at both Osborne Samuel and Beetles + Huxley.

Osborne Samuel, 23A Bruton Street, London, UK, +44 207 493 7939

Beetles + Huxley, 3-5 Swallow Street, London, UK, +44 207 434 4319

By Ellie Griffiths