London - Feb 2026 (TL)

Those of you that have read Barry Quatermass’ take on our recent trip to the big city, will know that I was making a special trip to the V&A archive to research Alfred Stieglitz and get my hands on some of his valuable art legacy. The results of which can be seen in my photo magazine ‘Focus Quarterly’; the Spring 2026 edition is available from April (tomleephoto.com/focus-quarterly).

Victoria and Albert Museum, Kensington, London

Reviewing Camera Work - (C) Barry Quatermass

Whilst some people may know of Stieglitz’ publication ‘Camera Work’, not many will appreciate that he destroyed any remaining unsold copies after the final issue was printed. This makes any hard copies still in existence extremely rare indeed.

Barry and Will

It wasn’t all work and no play however, I was grateful for Barry’s company. His presence kept my excitable nature truly grounded and I was able to enjoy our London walkabout as much as my privileged access to the V&A. We met some friendly Londoners who made us feel very welcome with our cameras! One individual set us up with a unique view of St Paul’s Cathedral from a ‘hidden’ garden that had a reflection pool. I must have passed this location on many visits, but never knew it was there.

Hidden Garden close to St Paul’s Cathedral

1897 Gentleman's Barber Shop

Another highlight was a visit to the ‘1897 Gentleman’s Barber Shop’. A true step back in time, the shop was decked out as the name suggests, in over the top 1897 decor. Having tried to photograph it at night (without success), we were greeted and allowed in by the proprietor on the morning after and subjected to a visual overload of riotous colour.

Borough Market and the Shard

Window at night at the ‘Hoop and Toy'

‘Dirty Lane’ at Borough Yards

Rear access steps at V&A

Although photography can be a solitary endeavour, it’s amazing the variance in imagery you get when two guys stand next to each other and come away with totally different shots. The choice of camera, medium, lens, settings and post production all goes toward the individuals particular artistic bent and presentation.

Stairs at the Tube

Other than a few hours in ‘solitary’ at the V&A, I walked with Barry through the capitol. Enjoy my perspective from our wider walk around town and look forward to the images from my V&A visit in ‘Focus Quarterly’ and a future blog here!