THE FOUNDATION LIBRARY

Our collection of over 5000 photobooks has been carefully curated by Martin Parr. While the library is primarily dedicated to works from Britain and Ireland, it also contains some of the best photobooks from around the world. Our tailor-made electronic catalogue of the collection makes searching the stacks simple.

The library is open one day a week, with priority booking available to members of the Foundation. Contact us at membership@martinparrfoundation.org to book either an early (10-1pm) or late (2-5pm) session from the following dates:

Fri 24th Mar
Mon 27th Mar

Thu 6th Apr
Tue 11th Apr
Fri 21st Apr
Mon 24th Apr

NEW ARRIVALS…

Subida Al Cielo

‘Ascent to Heaven’ features five bodies of work by Bristol-based Galician, Lúa Ribeira.

House of Bondage

A reissue of Ernest Cole’s iconic work, including previously unseen images.

Delegation

Wendy Red Star’s photography recasts historical narratives from a feminist, Indigenous perspective.

Koudelka Ikonar

A survey of the great photographer, exploring his personal archive of 30,000 contact sheets.

Snatch Out of Time

Originally conceived a decade ago as a companion volume to Men and Women. Now published by Super Labo.

Overpass

Sam Contis photographs stiles, with an essay by Daisy Hildyard.

Louder Than Words

Jill Posener’s second book on protest grafitti, originally published in 1986.

The Alec Gill Hessle Road photo archive

A celebration of a fishing community in Kingston upon Hull.

Don't Call Me Urban!

Simon Wheatley’s 2010 publication on the history of the Grime scene in noughties London.

Battered

Photographer Harri Pälviranta shows the banality of street violence in Finland.

Girl Pictures

Portraits of teenage girls at play in bucolic landscapes, by Justine Kurland.

Utatane

Rinko Kawauchi’s debut photobook is still as powerful over two decades later.

HAFIZ

Sabiha Çimen won the Paris Photo First Book Award with this depiction of students at several girls-only Qur’an schools throughout Turkey.

M/E On this sphere Endlessly interlinking

The exhibition catalogue accompanying Rinko Kawauchi’s 2022 show at Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery.

Year 3

A snapshot of a generation, a cross-section of a particular time and place – but also, according to Steve McQueen, a Trogan horse.

Acid House as it Happened

Dave Swindells’ appropriately kaleidoscopic record of one nation under a groove.

Looking for Signs

Peter Finnemore’s ‘meditation on the universal conventions, democratic versatility and proliferation of the photographic medium itself’.

Home is Not a Place

Poet Roger Robinson and photographer Johny Pitts’ road trip in search of Black Britain.

Beauty Papers

Harley Weir’s new book about the allure of plastic surgery and changing beauty standards.

The Book of Everything

Over 600 career-spanning images by the late photographer Mary Ellen Mark – edited by her partner.

Twin Lens Reflex

The Portrait Photographs of Bandele “Tex” Ajetunmobi and Harry Jacobs – depicting post-war Black Britain.

Auto fictions

A definitive record of 20 years of photography and film by Trish Morrissey.

Scumb Manifesto

Justine Kurland cut up 150 books by old white men and made something beautiful.

The Arnolfini Works 1984

A previously unpublished selection of stunning photographs from Peter Fraser’s exhibition (alongside William Eggleston) in Bristol.

Big Fence / Pitcairn Island

The result of Rhiannon Adam’s 96 day stay on the island; a tome on the dangers of romanticism.

White Shoes

Nona Faustine’s confrontational / hopeful self portraits, taken on sites of historic slave trade activity.

Designing the Beautiful Game

A book about pigs’ bladders, made to accompany the Design Museum exhibition on football.

Passport

Shortlisted for the Arles Author Book Award 2017, Alexander Chekmenev’s photographs of Luhansk elders.

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