This month Leica Gallery London is holding an exhibition that will showcase 20 works by Thomas Hoepker, with a focus on his outstanding colour documentary. The photographs cover decades of his career, beginning in the 1960s and ending in 2013. A highlight of the exhibition is one of Hoepker’s most famous images, Advertisement and passengers on bus. New York City 1963 which was selected as the Leica Picture of the Year in 2022. This iconic snapshot depicts two elderly passengers looking out of the window of a bus and below them on the side of the vehicle is an advertisement for medicine to combat indigestion.

Hoepker said: ‘Sometimes you get lucky as a street photographer. In 1963, I was walking in New York with my Leica camera, a bus was passing by, and I saw this strange poster for Pepto-Bismol; I shot one picture and forgot about it. Weeks later, I noticed that the man and woman looked a bit as though they suffered from indigestion. I like strange and funny photographs!’

This work is part of the portfolio of Leica Legends images which are for sale at Leica Galleries as limited-edition prints.

Hoepker has helped define 20^th-century photojournalism since the 1960s. He began his career as a photographer for prestigious publications such as Stern magazine in 1964 and later became the photography director of the American subsidiary of Geo magazine from 1978-81. In 1989 he joined the international photographic cooperative Magnum and later became its president, holding the position from 2003-2006.

Hoepker’s award-winning photographs explore social themes in an empathetic and engaging manner. He describes himself as an “image maker”: someone interested in capturing the truth and everyday lives of those around him.

Wanderlust runs from 8 January-12 February 2023 at Leica Gallery London