Getty gallery to open new exhibition with film London

The Getty Images gallery is opening a new exhibition on the 26th of August in collaboration with film London

PRESS RELEASE

Love from London: A City of Stars from Getty Images Gallery and Film London is a stunning exhibition of photographs featuring renowned film stars in the legendary city of London which will be in residence at the Getty Images Gallery from 26 August – 9 October 2010.

Love from London: A City of Stars captures stars from the golden age of cinema in one of the world’s most popular and recognisable cities. From Audrey Hepburn in Richmond Park, Elizabeth Taylor feeding the pigeons in Trafalgar Square, Brigitte Bardot travelling on the tube and Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin arriving in London in 1961, the exhibition showcases a collection of stars at work and at play in various London locations.

In addition to featuring stars of the silver screen, over 50 black and white images also feature iconic landmarks across the British capital. These locations range from Diana Dors visiting the historic Billingsgate Market, a London market dating back to the 14^th Century, to Alfred Hitchcock posing outside the British Museum, the world’s first national public museum founded in 1753, to Marilyn Monroe at the iconic Savoy Hotel which opened in 1889.

Adrian Wootton, Chief Executive of Film London said: “The exhibition houses a collection of outstanding images of renowned film-makers and movie stars which demonstrates what a rich, dynamic and popular city London is. London has always been a cultural hub and these images celebrate the city’s historical filmic credentials. The work of Film London, promoting film-making and film as an art form, will ensure the British capital remains one of the world’s most popular and culturally important cities.”

Louise Garczewska, Director, Getty Images Gallery said: “I’m absolutely thrilled at how our research experts have delved into the depths of our world famous Hulton Archive and have yet again produced a stunning collection of iconic images.  This wonderful photographic exhibition show-cases not only our beloved icons but also cherished landmarks across our capital. Love from London is a wonderful celebration of why this amazing city is so beloved by stars of stage and screen, highlighting the favourite places they visited whilst filming in the capital.”

All of the images in the exhibition were chosen from the Getty Images Hulton Archive, the world’s finest photographic archive representing key photographers across all genres, occupying a unique position in photographic history. Many of the photographs, which span six decades, have never been seen before.

Love from London: A City of Stars is also supported by the London Underground Film Office.

Love from London is Film London’s film tourism banner which also includes an online movie-map www.filmlondon.org.uk/lovefromlondon. The map is a comprehensive resource featuring over 100 films shot in the capital which invites people to take a new look at the city by exploring the capital’s hot spots of celluloid magic and create their own film-inspired tours of the city.

To coincide with the Love from London: A City of Stars exhibition, a new layer will be added to the map called ‘Stars’ which will show the unexpected places where legendary actors and directors lived and where born, from Hitchcock in Waltham Forest to Dudley Moore in Barking and Dagenham. Another addition will be a ‘Cinemas’ layer which will show where your nearest cinema is and tell you more about it. Also to mark the exhibition, Film London will release collectable packs of postcards featuring images from the exhibition.

Film-makers have always been attracted to London, as both a historic and contemporary location. Since Film London was launched in 2004 the number of films shot in London has risen by almost a third as provision for film-makers in the capital has improved beyond recognition. It is therefore unsurprising that the world’s biggest film stars and directors continue to choose London and that the city is more popular than ever before.

Upcoming notable releases which will feature London on screen include Inception starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Gulliver’s Travels starring Jack Black and Clint Eastwood’s Hereafter starring Matt Damon plus the final instalments of the Harry Potter franchise.

A lightbox of imagery can be found on the Getty Images website.