In 2006, Hamiltons presented the Irving Penn exhibition ‘Now and Then.’ Penn, represented in England by Hamiltons for two decades, was arguably the most important and influential traditional photographer working at the time.
In the show, Penn presented a selection of works that featured still life, fashion, portraits and nudes. Some of the pictures had been produced as recently as February 2006, whilst other prints dated back to the early fifties. The exhibition included examples of Penn’s exquisitely created platinum prints and more than a third of the show comprised of vintage gelatin silver prints. Hamiltons also exhibited previously unseen variants of iconic images, such as ‘Three Asaro Mudmen, New Guinea, 1970’and ‘Woman in Chicken Hat, New York, 1949’.