Ilse Bing

‘I felt that the camera grew an extension of my eyes and moved with me.’
Ilse Bing

Known for her distinctive style and high degree of technical expertise, Ilse Bing (1899 – 1998) was one of the leading European photographers of the interwar period. Her rapid success and innovative use of one of the most advanced cameras of the age earned her the title 'Queen of the Leica'.

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Bing bequeathed a large body of her work to the V&A. This collection comprises over 50 photographs, mainly taken at the height of her career, including examples of her early work in Frankfurt, as well as some of her finest pieces from the 1930s. It includes both vintage prints and those made in the 1980s and 90s following a revival of interest in her work.

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Header image: Rockerfeller Center and Chrysler Building Tops, New York, photograph by Ilse Bing, 1936, gelatin silver print. Museum no. E.3029-2004. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London/Estate of Ilse Bing, courtesy Michael Mattis