Auto-Photo: A Life in Portraits

AUTO-PHOTO: A LIFE IN PORTRAITS

28 FEB – 02 MAY 2026

This exhibition celebrates the contribution of Alan Adler (1932-2024) to Melbourne. For over fifty years, Adler operated and maintained photobooths across the city.

His work meant generations of people were able to record themselves, their relationships and create personal and expressive images using his photobooths. This exhibition also marks 100 years since the first a coin-operated photobooth appeared in New York City. This exhibition is among many worldwide events in 2026 that mark this important centenary and reflect on the photobooth’s power to delight and inspire.

Auto-Photo: A Life in Portraits is a travelling exhibition, and features Adler’s extensive archive, alongside additional exhibits and works of art from the collections of Katherine Griffiths, Julie Mac, Metro Auto Photo, and Patrick Pound.

Auto Photo: A Life in Portraits is a Centre of Contemporary Photography exhibition, presented in partnership with Frankston Arts Centre.

Curated by Catlin Langford with Christopher Sutherland and Jessie Norman (Metro Auto Photo).

This exhibition is accompanied by a book ‘Auto-Photo: A Life in Portraits‘, published in partnership with Perimeter Editions, and supported by the Gordon Darling Foundation.

For more information:

Frankston Arts Centre

www.metroautophoto.au

Exhibition Partners: Spicers Australia; HC Pro.