Emil Otto Hoppé was one of the most active art and documentary photographers of his time. Born in Munich, Hoppé moved to London in his early 20s where he began to exhibit as an amateur photographer. He opened his first photography studio in 1907, expanding to a larger studio by 1911. Hoppé became a renowned portrait photographer. His sitters included many luminary personalities from the arts, literature, and politics such as George Bernard Shaw, Thomas Hardy, T.S. Eliot, Vaslav Nijinsky, Queen Mary, King George, and other members of the Royal Family. Hoppé was also known as a talented landscape and travel photographer. He journeyed across Britain and Ireland to study people from all walks of life, but also as far as Cuba, Sri Lanka and New Zealand to expand his body of work. This collecton of 80 photographs depict London in the 1920s and 30s, including famous landmarks such as Big Ben, St Pauls Cathedral and boats on the river Thames. There are also snapshots of day to day life in the city, often captured by Hoppé with a mix of poignancy and humour. A large portion of the pictures depict the V&A, such as cleaners in the galleries, a blind winder, the 1930s equivalent of ‘Opinions’ afternoons, and lectures. There are also images of the Natural History Museum and the Royal College of Art.