Autograph was founded in 1988 in London to support black photographic practices. From a small office in the Bon Marché Building in Brixton, Autograph – known then as the Association of Black Photographers – launched an ambitious programme of exhibitions, publications and events.

Between 1988 and 2007 Autograph worked as an agency to initiate projects in gallery spaces, museums, at festivals or in public sites. By this means it developed expertise in influencing policy and practice and was able to demonstrate alternative models of making and sharing creative work produced by artists from the UK and abroad. During this period, Autograph built an extensive repertoire of projects and project partners, delivered commissions, developed its permanent photographic collection and published monographs, newspapers and essay collections. Autograph also carried out strategic research and curatorial activity with large and small institutions, nationally and internationally, locating and distributing the results in the UK and abroad.

In 2007 Autograph moved to a purpose-built permanent home: Rivington Place in Shoreditch. Since then it has housed Autograph’s staff team, provides an important London showcase for our annual programmes of public exhibitions and events, storage for our collection of photography, a dedicated learning studio and a place to welcome and facilitate the many institutions, informal groups and individuals with whom we make and share cultural projects with locally, nationally and internationally.

Autograph is located at Rivington Place in Hackney, London. When it opened in 2007, Rivington Place was both the first newly constructed public art gallery to be opened in London for 40 years, and the first purpose-built space dedicated to the development and presentation of culturally diverse arts in England.