24 Aug 2026
Definitive picture of great Australian photographer Max Dupain revealed in landmark retrospective
Definitive Dupain, the first major retrospective to explore the complete body of work of famous Australian photographer Max Dupain, opens at the State Library of NSW today [24 August 2026], alongside the launch of a major publication of the same name.
The free exhibition features almost 200 iconic and little-known images and original prints that Dupain personally selected and submitted to magazine and book publishers throughout his lifetime, revealing the extraordinary breadth and creativity of a remarkable 60-year career.
According to State Librarian Dr Caroline Butler-Bowdon: “At the heart of the State Library’s remarkable photographic collection is Max Dupain’s complete negative archive – around 250,000 negatives acquired over decades, alongside his albums, publications and papers. Together they form the nation’s most historically important photographic record of the mid- to late-20th century.”
“It’s an enormous source of pride that we are able to mount the most substantial and extensive retrospective of Dupain’s work in the Library’s 200th year.”
State Library curator Avryl Whitnall spent five years researching Dupain’s vast archive of commercial and personal negatives and prints, uncovering astonishing unseen works and experimental gems in the process that audiences will get to view for the first time.
“It was both a daunting and exhilarating task,” says Ms Whitnall. “From previously unseen photographs of the Sydney Opera House under construction, to candid moments that even surprised his family, and self-portraits Dupain took throughout his life.”
Max Dupain (1911–1992) created some of Australia’s most iconic and enduring photographs. His work encompassed studio portraiture, experimental photography influenced by surrealist artist
Man Ray, advertising and fashion photography, nudes, architectural photography, and photography that documents his time in the Northern Territory and New Guinea during World War II. Dupain’s personal photographs of holidays, camping trips and the natural world revealed a more intimate side of his creative vision, producing some of his most celebrated images, including Sunbaker.
“I wanted to present the definitive picture of this famous Australian photographer,” says Ms Whitnall. “So, alongside these images – arranged chronologically – visitors will meet Dupain and hear his own words from throughout his working life. These words and images offer a rare insight into the man behind the lens, his creative philosophy and the distinctive way he viewed his craft.”
Other exhibition highlights include:
• Unseen photographs of scenes around Paris while documenting the Harry Seidler-designed Australian Embassy in Paris, taken during Dupain’s only trip to Europe.
• Experimental images using solarisation – the use of light to overexpose a negative.
• Dupain’s first published works in The Home magazine, April 1934 – two nude studies, including the original glass-negative of The negative lady.
• The famous ‘Camping Album’ c1938 which shows the man behind Sunbaker camping and posing for the nation’s most iconic photograph.
• Rarely seen images stemming from Dupain’s little-known passion for photographing flowers, shells and trees.
• Dupain’s cameras – his Linhof Technika used for architecture photography and his Rollicord camera used for personal work.
Through multimedia and interactive displays, visitors can explore the photographic processes of Dupain’s time, from creating glass-plate negatives to using magnesium flash powder for night photography. Visitors can also manipulate images to recreate some of Dupain’s lesser-known photographs.
Definitive Dupain is a free exhibition at the State Library of NSW from 24 August 2026 – July 2027. sl.nsw.gov.au
Definitive Dupain, published by Thames C Hudson, is released to coincide with the exhibition. It comprises over 250 stunning images from the collection of the State Library of NSW, with essays by the Library’s curator Avryl Whitnall, Magnum photographer Trent Parke and Helen Ennis, author of Max Dupain: A Portrait.
This exhibition is generously supported by the State Library of NSW Foundation and its donors.