A set of vintage prints from the exhibition Tony Ray-Jones: The English Scene at the Institute of Contemporary Art, London, 1969. This exhibition was part of the SPECTRUM Four Photographers in Contrast series that also included shows by Dorothy Bohm, Don McCullin, and Enzo Ragazzini.

The photographs exhibited by Ray-Jones were made throughout the UK observing the idiosyncrasies of daily life and social relations in Britain during the 1960s. He often photographed leisure pursuits, cultural traditions, and street scenes with an anthropological eye which sought out the comic as well as the humane – forming a complex body of work that went beyond the purely journalistic.

In 1972, Tony Ray-Jones died at the age of 30 from Leukaemia. It wasn’t until 1974 that a book of his photographs was posthumously published by Thames & Hudson entitled ‘A Day Off’. This book and its iconic images made during a short and intense period, became a vital influence on many British photographers, including Martin Parr who at the time was beginning his studies in photography. The Martin Parr Foundation houses a large collection of materials relating to Tony Ray-Jones which includes vintage silver gelatin prints made by Tony Ray-Jones, a full set of publications relating to Tony Ray-Jones, early college work, contact prints, as well as ephemera items including Tony Ray-Jones light meter and paper records.

MEDIUM
Silver gelatin prints, black and white mounted on ply.

DIMENSIONS
38 x 29.5 cm

NUMBER OF PRINTS IN THE COLLECTION
5 ICA exhibition prints (43 vintage Ray-Jones prints in total)

DATES
Varying