Wide-Angle View

Through the lens of the pages of the Architectural Review magazine, Wide-Angle View is an exhibition on the Manplan series, a ground-breaking exploration of architecture’s impact on society.

This exhibition of over 70 original photographs, some that have never been seen before, offers a unique insights on society in the late 1960s. The magazine was bold and innovative in its tone and style, incorporating pioneering graphic and print techniques and radical photojournalism to analyse the state of society in Britain at the turn of the decade. It initiated a new outlook and approach to architectural debate and journalism that is still relevant today.

The Wide-Angle View photography exhibition looks at Manplan and presents photography from renowned professionals such as Ian Berry, Patrick Ward and Tony Ray-Jones at our Architecture Gallery in central London which is free and open to all. 

Manplan was a a visual manifesto and photographic revolution in print. In 1969, The Architectural Review dedicated the pages of their journal to analyse the state of architecture and urban planning in Britain. The monthly international architectural magazine had a history of campaigning for important issues related to the built environment. The Manplan series was revolutionary both in ambition and in execution. It was radical in its tone and style, with photography at its centre to critique the impact of architecture on society.

The title Manplan was used as each issue was devoted to an individual area of human activity that was affected by design and planning choices. The magazine documented the built environment but also was used to propose an alternative and holistic approach, one that would look at all basic human needs. The images and themes addressed throughout the eight issues resonate today and speak to current situations within society.

From September 1969 to September 1970, eight special issues were published as a survey of British architectural. Each issue highlighted an individual area of human activity that was impacted by design and planning choices. Guest editors were invited to work with specially commissioned photojournalists and street photographers to develop each theme.

Although photography had been integral to The Architectural Review since the 1930s, the images that defined Manplan were like nothing that had been seen in the magazine before. They focused on people, shifting the emphasis from the architecture itself to the human element within the built environment. The dramatic black and white images, shot on a 35mm camera in the ‘photo-reportage’ style, created a strong visual statement to support the text of each edition. Themes included religion, health and welfare, frustration and education.

The art direction and design of the magazine was graphic and original, providing a powerful backdrop for the striking black and white images. The overall message was strong, uncompromising and a highly critical commentary on contemporary living conditions in Britain. This embodied both the idealism of the 1960s and the disillusionment felt at the end of that decade. Many of the issues addressed are still extremely relevant today.