STEP inside a photobooth and explore the extraordinary life of Alan Adler, Australia’s most photographed man, in Auto Photo: A Life in Portraits at Frankston Arts Centre. This moving exhibition celebrates Adler’s life and legacy, spanning more than 50 years behind Melbourne’s iconic photobooths.
Adler ran the Flinders Street booth and others across the city, capturing thousands of photo strips of himself while maintaining the machines. His personal archive forms a unique visual diary, documenting not only his own life but also Melbourne’s changing streets, faces, and communities over decades. At the height of his work, Adler maintained 16 booths across the city, quietly preserving a form of everyday portraiture that connected countless people. He passed away in 2024, but his beloved booths and cultural impact endure.
Curated by Catlin Langford and Metro Auto Photo, the exhibition pairs Adler’s intimate self-portraits with historic photobooth images dating back to the 1930s. Visitors can view images taken for passports, IDs, or spontaneous moments with friends and family, forming a collective memory of Melbourne’s people and culture.
“Through this exhibition we hope to continue Alan’s legacy and shine a light on his life’s work,” said co-curator Jessie Norman. “These photos are a love letter to Melbourne, and Adler was the city’s unthanked hero.”
The exhibition is fully immersive — visitors are invited to step inside a working photobooth and create new memories, connecting past and present through this timeless form of portraiture.
Auto Photo: A Life in Portraits is a free exhibition at Frankston Arts Centre, showing until 2 May. This project is presented in partnership with the Centre for Contemporary Photography (CCP) and celebrates the enduring magic of photobooths as places of connection, creativity, and nostalgia.
First published in the Frankston Times – 10 March 2026