Photo: vam.ac.ukThe Victoria & Albert Museum will be showcasing 300 of the best images from Sir Elton John's and David Furnish's private photography collection.
The couple have always had a passion for photography, and over the last 30 years they have managed to amass over 7,000 images that reflect their unique eye as collectors.
Photo: vam.ac.ukSpanning 1950 to the present day, with work by 140 of the world's leading photographers, Fragile Beauty will be split into eight thematic sections that tell the story of modern and contemporary photography across the worlds of fashion, celebrity, reportage and the male body.
Also covered will be the challenging subjects of persecution and resistance, focusing on key moments in history like the 1960s Civil Rights movement, the 1980s AIDS epidemic, and the tragic events of September 11th.
Photo: vam.ac.ukOther highlights include an installation of 149 prints from Nan Goldin's Thanksgiving series, fashion prints by Horst P Horst, Irving Penn and Herb Ritts, portraits of stars like Aretha Franklin, Elizabeth Taylor and The Beatles, as well as era-defining images by Robert Mapplethorpe, Cindy Sherman, William Eggleston, Diane Arbus, Sally Mann, Zanele Muholi, Ai Weiwei and Carrie Mae Weems.
Photo: vam.ac.ukElton John said: "Since we first loaned a selection of Horst photographs to the V&A in 2014, our relationship with the museum has grown significantly. Fragile Beauty takes our collaboration to exciting new heights, and we look forward to sharing this exhibition with the public."
What the critics say...
Evening Standard: ★★★★★ "A breathtaking exhibition of photography's greatest hits and hidden gems"; The Independent: ★★★★ "The best images in this tumultuous show, from whichever period, have the capacity to make us excited about the very idea of photography, all over again"
