A group of children at the door of a caravan.

Exhibition

Exposure and Contrast:
The Exit Photography Group

Open 23 September until 31 January in LSE Library Gallery.

Introduction

LSE Library's Autumn/Winter exhibition derives from a collection of photographs and interviews held in the archives. The group responsible for this collection were called Exit and they came together in the 1970s to bear witness to the changes and challenges impacting Britain's inner cities.

Children playing on and around a car

Their efforts were published in 1982 as the book Survival Programmes and revealed a country wracked by inequalities and creaking social support services. The interviews and photographs were taken in the mid-late 1970s, illustrating a country in flux where opportunities were hard to come by for many.

A group of people on a beach

Alongside the main story, material from the Child Poverty Action Group, and other campaigns and publications from the early 1980s, contextualise the fissures that Exit documented.

EXPOSURE AND CONTRAST: LSE LIBRARY PHOTO COMPETITION

We want to see your images that resonate with the mission and ethos of the Exit Photography Group, to document the human condition. If you have taken photos that reflect social issues, exclusion, inequality, collective memory, or protest, then consider submitting them to this competition.

Find out about our photo competition

A fire in the foreground and people mining (?) in the background

Further information

How to find us

Exhibitions are held in the Library Gallery by the entrance to our building. 

Find us on Google Maps.

Organise a tour

The Gallery is a small enough space for a 15 minute tour — available on request.

Get in touch if you would like to arrange a tour.

Opening times

Open 23 September to 31 January.

  • Monday to Friday, 9am to 7pm
  • Saturday and Sunday, 11am to 6pm

A poster with exhibition details on and a photo of children at the doorway of a caravan with adults looking on.

Have any questions? 

Contact us via email or find out other ways to get in touch.

View some of our online exhibitions