Celebrating 100 years of proto-street photographer Dorothy Bohm

Kalum Carter
·2 min read
Dorothy Bohm at 100 .
Dorothy Bohm at 100 .
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The new exhibition Dorothy Bohm at 100 will be on display at The Photographers' Gallery in London, England, from April 12 - June 23 2024, commemorating what would have been her 100th birthday.

Bohm was trained as a studio portrait photographer in wartime Manchester before becoming a leading humanist street photographer. This was long before the term 'street photography' was coined and instead, she was observing and capturing life around her.

She traveled extensively, capturing the hustle and bustle of city life in London, New York, and Paris, as well as the slower-paced atmosphere of rural Italy.

Black and white photograph of a woman picking flowers for a bunch while holding an open umbrella behind her.
Black and white photograph of a woman picking flowers for a bunch while holding an open umbrella behind her.

Due to the era in which she was photographing, her early work was of course in black-and-white, but as color film photography started to become readily available, her exploration saw her capture her images with "texture and spatial ambiguity to convey humanity in increasingly abstract and allusive forms".

Bohm's passion for the medium extended past her ambitions as a photographer, supporting photographers, writers, gallerists, and collectors both in the UK and further afield.

Perhaps most notably in this regard, she played a key role in helping Sue Davies set up The Photographers’ Gallery in 1971, where she was instated as associate director for 15 years.

Black and white photograph of two black men turned towards the camera. One of them is dressed in a sailor’s uniform.
Black and white photograph of two black men turned towards the camera. One of them is dressed in a sailor’s uniform.
Colour photograph of a bucket with fans, in front of a plastic sheet and a man stood behind the plastic sheet.
Colour photograph of a bucket with fans, in front of a plastic sheet and a man stood behind the plastic sheet.

Dorothy Bohm at 100 exhibits a selection of images taken throughout her career, featuring her most valued and famous alongside some previously unseen gems. As is the nature of Bohm's work, the images will take the viewer on a journey through the city streets across several countries while all capturing the essence of humanity.

This quote from the photographer further proves her approach to capturing the human condition: "I do not photograph the differences but the similarities."

The Photographers' Gallery will host Dorothy Bohm at 100 from April 12 - June 23 2024. More information regarding tickets can be found on the official website, where prints are also available.

The great thing about The Photographers' Gallery is that the ticket enables entry to all its incredible exhibitions – and having visited last week, I can assure you that you'll leave feeling inspired.

Black and white photograph of a child holding a pram in the middle of a street.
Black and white photograph of a child holding a pram in the middle of a street.

You might be interested in the best cameras for street photography, along with the best cameras for black and white photography.