Showcasing over 300 rare prints from over 140 photographers – the majority of which will be on display to the public for the first time – Fragile Beauty: Photographs from the Sir Elton John and David Furnish Collection will be the V&A’s largest temporary exhibition of photography to date.

Marking 30 years of collecting, the exhibition will celebrate John and Furnish’s passion for the medium and will reflect their personal taste and unique eye as collectors.​ Across eight thematic sections, it will explore subjects such as fashion, reportage, celebrity, the male body, and American photography. Portraits of stars from stage and screen will feature, including photography of Marilyn Monroe, Miles Davis, and Chet Baker, as well as iconic images from key moments of history from the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, AIDS activism of the 1980s and the events of 11 September 2001.