Ordinary Beauty: The Photography of Edwin Smith

Interesting exhibition at the RIBA of photos by Edwin Smith who concentrated on buildings and the social make up of Britain.

I loved his atmospheric 1930s work looking at London working class life such as a Café in Poplar and a study of a Worcester sauce bottle. All his images were very sharp and focused.

There was a section on “The Saturday Book” an annual compilation book he produced with his wife including articles, photographs and poems. Also displays on his architectural books for Thames and Hudson.

He was a part of the 1950s debate about architectures relationship between the past and the future and the conflict between building new works and preserving the historic lending wait to the idea of preservation.

My favourite picture was one of a roof-scape at Whitby where he photographed the town over the curve of a roof.

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