2025 marks 100 years since Anatol Josepho patented the Photomaton, the first modern photobooth. Photobooths were installed on Broadway, in New York, and became a game-changer for the world of photography. Their arrival concided with a growing demand for identity documents, but it was their informality and social side that aided their rapid take up. Photobooths became an everyday sight in cities around the world. In the 1950s and 1960s, photobooths were a common feature at fairs, shopping centres and train stations. The booths were loved by everyone, from John Lennon and Yoko Ono, to John and Jacqueline Kennedy, and even used by artist Andy Warhol for his famous series of self-portraits. The photobooth meant people could be in charge of their own images, in their own personal space.
This autumn The Phootgraphers' Gallery will celebrate the centenary by telling the story of the much-loved photobooth. Through an archival display drawing on private collections, Click! 100 Years of the Photobooth will explore the imperfections and quirks of the booth and highlight fans through the decades. There’ll also be a booth at the Gallery for everyone to create their own selfie souvenir.
Click! 100 Years of the Photobooth
10 October 2025-22 February 2026
London, The Photographers' Gallery
See: https://thephotographersgallery.org.uk/whats-on/click-100-years-photobooth
In partnership with AUTOFOTO
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