Elton John announces an exhibition of his photography collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Herman Leonard, portrait of Chet Baker, 1956. © Herman Leonard. Courtesy of the Victoria and Albert Museum and Herman Leonard Photography, LLC.
Elton John and his husband, David Furnish, have announced an upcoming exhibition titled “Fragile Beauty” at the Victoria and Albert Museum in 2024. The unprecedented exhibition will showcase over 300 photographs, many unseen by the public, from the couple’s extensive private collection.
“Fragile Beauty takes our collaboration to really exciting new heights, showcasing some of the most beloved photographers and iconic images from within our collection,” the couple said in a statement.
The collection, curated over 30 years, features work by more than 140 celebrated photographers, including Robert Mapplethorpe, Sally Mann, Cindy Sherman, Carrie Mae Weems, Diane Arbus, Ai Weiwei, and Zanele Muholi. The exhibition announcement stated that “Fragile Beauty” will explore themes such as fashion, reportage, celebrity, the male body, and American photography.
Eve Arnold, portrait of Malcolm X, 1962. © Eve Arnold. Courtesy of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Additionally, the photos will present iconic portraits of figures like Marilyn Monroe, Malcolm X, Miles Davis, and Chet Baker while also chronicling historical moments, including the civil rights movement, the 1980s AIDS activism, and 9/11. The show will be on view from May 18, 2024 to January 5, 2025.
Duncan Forbes, curator of “Fragile Beauty,” said, “We are delighted to be working with Sir Elton John and David Furnish to present highlights from their unparalleled collection: from the playful and surprising to the contemplative and thoughtful. Whether through the elegance of fashion photography, the creativity of musicians and performers, the exploration of desire, or the passage of history as captured by photojournalism, photography reveals something important about the world.”
