The Best Documentary Photographers Of The Last Century

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

Tatsuo Suzuki, ‘Shibuya’, Tokyo, 2013

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

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