The first exhibition at the new Leica Gallery London will be Time After Time, a collection of work by David Bailey. The show opens on 11 November in the gallery space of the new Leica Store London Mayfair at 14 Dover Street, and runs until 14 January 2027.

Time After Time portrays London as part of Bailey himself. It goes back to the rawness of his early pictures, made before he became known around the world for his spontaneous, minimalist and intimate fashion portraits, and traces how the city shaped him as a photographer.

The exhibition also explores his relationship and collaboration with Jean Shrimpton, whom he first photographed in 1961, along with other long-standing personal collaborations. Images released ahead of the show include a 1961 self-portrait, Jean Shrimpton for Man About Town in 1961, Gun Street in London in 1961, Danny O’Conner on an East End bomb site in 1959, and Bailey’s Daily Express advertising work from 1962.

A fitting first show

It’s hard to think of a more appropriate photographer to open a London gallery. Bailey’s early East End pictures and his work of the 1960s are central to the story of British photography, and the gallery’s position in Mayfair, surrounded by fine art galleries, puts photography firmly in that company.

The gallery is part of Leica’s new four-floor London flagship, which opened on 5 November in a Dover Street townhouse. As well as the gallery, the store houses Leica’s cameras, Sport Optics, watches, home cinema, mobile, and pre-owned and vintage ranges.

For anyone in London over the winter, the exhibition is a good excuse to visit both the show and the new store, and the dates run conveniently through the Christmas period.

Key details

When and where

David Bailey’s Time After Time is on display at Leica Gallery London, 14 Dover Street, London W1S 4LW, from 11 November 2026 to 14 January 2027. Store details are on the Leica website.