An exhibition of photographs taken during the filming of James Bond movies has opened at the Leica Camera store just around the corner from Selfridges. The images on display capture classic moments with cast and crew, shining a light on the secret agent’s enduring legacy.
Rather than putting descriptions next to each photo, which only encourages people to linger by the photo, they’ve printed a caption sheet you can carry around with you – which is a much better way of doing things.
Opening with what as to be one of the most iconic James Bond photographs, of Sean Connery leaning against his Aston Martin while filming Goldfinger, the exhibition covers the entire movie series right up to the most recent one.
The photographs range from candid images of movements between filming to shots taken during the action. Unless they cut the wires out of the photo very cleverly, it does look as if the jet pack used in Thunderball actually works.
Slightly around the corner is a staged photo with Roger Moor and Barbara Back, from The Spy Who Loved Me standing alongside film producer, Albert Broccoli, and even though he’s smiling, he still looks quite the Bond villain in the photo.
A slight niggle, the photograph of Sean Connery in the gas pipe in Diamonds are Forever is mislabeled, but otherwise, for any James Bond fan, this is a good refresher of the movies you love.
The exhibition, Photographs from the James Bond Archive is on display until 21st March 2023, and is free to visit.
The exhibition is at the Leica Gallery just around the corner from Bond Street tube station, at 66 Duke Street, London, W1K 6JD, and is open Mon – Sat: 11am to 6pm | Sun: Noon to 6pm.
UPDATE – after I wrote this, I found out there’s a props exhibition inside Harrods at the moment as well.
