Around the world
A restored booth between London and Barcelona
AUTOFOTO’s own account of how a personal purchase became a restoration practice.
A booth can travel long before its next sitter arrives. Its journey involves transport, repair, a willing venue and someone prepared to maintain its hidden laboratory.
The start of one operation
AUTOFOTO’s story begins with Rafael Hortala Vallve buying a 1960s machine in 2009 for a friend’s wedding in Barcelona. The account says it was shipped to London, then found a public home at Pizza East in Shoreditch. It is the organisation’s retrospective account, rather than an independently verified transport log.
Evidence: Restorer account
People behind the automatic machine
The same account describes a team of technicians and collaborators in both cities. ‘Automatic’ describes the customer’s experience, not the absence of human labour. Restoration and continuing adjustment happen outside the sitter’s few minutes behind the curtain.
Evidence: Restorer account
Finding a booth today
Use the operator’s current location list before travelling. This article tells the restoration story; it is not a live directory or promise about prices and opening hours. If a journey is mainly about making an analogue strip, confirm the machine’s process and availability directly. Keep the date and venue with your finished photographs, adding a small chapter to the machine’s documented life.
Sources & further reading
Sources for the specific facts and product descriptions above. Our worked examples, interpretations and practical suggestions are original editorial guidance.
- AUTOFOTO — Our storyRestorer account