Exhibition: Ordinary Beauty: The Photography of Edwin Smith

Hailed by Sir John Betjeman as a ‘genius at photography’ and by Cecil Beaton as ‘an understanding and loving connoisseur of his subject’, Edwin Smith captured the essence of the places, landscapes and buildings he photographed.

Ordinary Beauty: The Photography of Edwin Smith features over 100 extraordinary images from a collection of over 60,000 negatives and 20,000 prints given by Olive Cook, Smith’s widow and collaborator, to the RIBA. From images of urban scenes documenting British social life to atmospheric interiors and evocative landscapes overseas, the exhibition also features published books, photographic equipment and specially filmed contributions ranging from Alan Bennett to broadcaster Gillian Darley offer personal perspectives of Smith’s work.

Edwin Smith was highly sought-after by publishers and in the 1950s he was commissioned by Thames & Hudson for a series of books, among them English Parish Churches (1952), English Cottages & Farmhouses (1954), Scotland (1955), England (1957), and The Living City: A New View of the City of London (1957). His work also featured in Vogue, Shell Guides and numerous other publications to illustrate features and books on subjects varying from Great Houses of Europe to The Wonders of Italy.