During the 1980s and 90s, East London embarked on a thrilling creative renaissance. Lured here by the promise of cheap rents, a new generation of artists and photographers reclaimed the area’s abandoned factories and warehouses, repurposing them as studios for work and life. A unique, bohemian spirit has defined this patch of the city ever since.
We’re on a mission to keep this creative pulse alive in the neighbourhood, so it’s our pleasure to showcase a gallery’s worth of iconic British photography. This includes our permanent collection and rotating exhibitions in our reading room and mezzanine lounge space. Our bar and restaurant is decorated with black-and-white London street photography, taken by rising stars such as Amelia Shelbourne, Sabela Peinado, Brunel Johnson and Nico Froehlich.
If you’ve been inspired by the photography on display, you can create your own shots with our Photo Lab experience. Forget relying on your phone camera; here, we are reviving the art of point and shoot. Click away and capture your favourite Montcalm East moments – or venture further afield with a local shutterbug, who will help you with that money shot.
