Collecting photography | Personal reflections from Sir Elton John and David Furnish

Sir Elton John began collecting photographs in 1991 and his collection is now regarded as one of the leading private photography collections in the world. From major vintage 20th century modernist works to cutting-edge contemporary images, the collection now holds over 7,000 fine art photographs. Focussing on a selection of highlights from their collection, John and Furnish reveal their deep passion for collecting through a series of personal recollections.

We discover how the collection first started with the acquisition of fashion photography by Horst P. Horst, Herb Ritts and Irving Penn; how an appreciation of photography to capture a moment in time drives their interest in photojournalism; and why Robert Mapplethorpe is the most collected artist in their collection. John also reveals the powerful impact Nan Goldin's Thanksgiving series had on him at White Cube in 1999, and why drama, sexiness and atmosphere keep them acquiring prints from Philip-Lorca diCorcia's Hustlers series.

Find out more about the exhibition Fragile Beauty: Photographs from the Sir Elton John and David Furnish Collection
https://www.vam.ac.uk/fragilebeauty

00:36 Nan Goldin’s Thanksgiving series
00:46 Wardell Milan and Tyler Mitchell
06:25 Fashion photography and the start of Elton’s collection
07:13 First date and a shared love of Herb Ritts
07:44 Herb Ritts’ Versace Dress
08:17 Irving Penn’s Harlequin Dress (Lisa Fonssagrives-Penn) and Portrait of Elton John
10:00 Robert Mapplethorpe
11:46 Richard Avedon photoshoot
12:14 Philip-Lorca diCorcia’s Hustlers series  
14:23 Robert Frank’s Trolley – one of the most iconic images