History
Why the photobooth celebrated a centenary in 2025
A hundredth birthday, a London exhibition, and dates that need context.
A centenary celebrates a cultural beginning, not necessarily one unambiguous day. The 2025 celebrations use Josepho’s 1925 work as their starting point, while documentary histories distinguish later studio openings.
A documented exhibition
The Photographers’ Gallery’s Strike a Pose! ran from 10 October 2025 to 22 February 2026. Its archival display drew on Raynal Pellicer’s collection; the programme included a 1960s analogue booth. This is a past exhibition, rather than a current booking recommendation.
Evidence: Exhibition
A machine you can experience
A working object reveals something a display label cannot. The camera imposes a rhythm: sit, wait, change your expression, wait again. The print preserves that sequence. Its small size makes it a keepsake, but also lets viewers compare the frames closely. A museum object and a visitor’s new strip can therefore illuminate different parts of the same history.
A birthday with footnotes
Our chronology explains the disputed Broadway opening instead of treating all 1925 milestones as one event. Celebratory shorthand is understandable; a reference library should still preserve disagreement. Someone researching the commercial debut needs more precise evidence than someone simply enjoying a centenary.
Evidence: Archival research · Collection record
Sources & further reading
Sources for the specific facts and product descriptions above. Our worked examples, interpretations and practical suggestions are original editorial guidance.
- The Photographers’ Gallery — Strike a Pose! (2025–2026)Exhibition
- National Archives of Hungary — Anatol Josepho and PhotomatonArchival research
- Library of Congress — Anatol Josepho, 29 March 1927Collection record