Soho
Various Artists Getty Images Gallery
22 SEPTEMBER - 26 NOVEMBER 2016 Free
This photographic exhibition, located in the Getty Images gallery just off Oxford Street was aimed at taking a look back at the Soho we have left behind. The exhibition was born when the discovery of an old 1910 glass plate negative entitled 'The Smallest Shop' struck a cord with the researchers at Getty Images, leaving them eager to discover more.
The exhibition was small but deeply informative, photographs ranged from street's at night, to lavish performances, to intimate dwellings. Most interesting, however, was not the surroundings but the people. To me this exhibition showed that although the surroundings of Soho have changed, it is not this aspect which demands attention; it is in fact the reasons behind the change - namely the people and inhabitants of Soho at this time.
Where old French pub's and Italian eateries once stood now is taken over by expensive shops and chain restaurants. This exhibition shows Soho at a time of independence and originality; filled with sex, fashion and music - making it one on London's most exciting but also riskiest hangouts. Despite the area still holding elements of this fun, it can't help but feel contrived now; looking back with nostalgia and constantly striving to get the buzz back that it lost in the 21st Century.
The purpose of this exhibition was to show the old Soho: preserving the history and informing the public of today of older times. In terms of achieving this purpose, the exhibiton was a huge success and raises the fact that we must ensure the history of cities such as London is adequately preserved. Particularly areas such as Soho, which hold hidden gems of a forgotten time.
OVERALL RATING: ****
http://www.gettyimagesgallery.com/exhibitions/archive/soho-2016.aspx
