Photography museum to move home after 37 years

THE Photographers' Gallery, the world's first dedicated museum of photography, will close on 16 November after 37 years in its current home.

The move is earlier than expected after the gallery sold its Soho premises to a developer with plans for a boutique hotel on Great Newport Street.

But the museum is to create a temporary home on nearby Ramillies Street, on the site where a new £15.5million photography centre is to be built.

The warehouse-style gallery will run for about 18 months from 6 December before building starts on the new centre, due to open in 2011.

About £6.5million still needs to be raised to fund the project although the gallery is confident of success.

Brett Rogers, the director, said: "The warehouse won't be the all-singing all-dancing new building but we will be able to continue." The gallery will close in its old buildings on 16 November with an open-house tea party.

David Bailey, the photographer, said the new centre would "put photography right back into the heart of London".