Sir Elton John has always been a avid collector whether it be homes, cars or clothes.  queerguru knows about the latter as a few years ago we were involved in helping sell off some of his vast wardrobe of clothes from the very best of the world’s designers with every penny being donated to the Elton John AIDS Foundation.   The Foundation incidentally has raised over $350 million in its 24 year history.

Now Sir Elton is sharing with the world a small part of his vast collection of modernist photography, that is recognized as one of the most important ones in the world. He started collecting in 1990 when he stopped drinking. and over the years has purchased about 8000 works,  most of which he hangs in his 18,000 sq ft penthouse in Atlanta, Georgia.

He has lent about 200 photographs lent to London’s Tate Modern Gallery which includes images from the 1920s to the 50s by some of the most important photographers of the past century, including Man Ray, André Kertész and Berenice Abbott.

The Radical Eye : Modernist Photography from the Sir Elton John Collection Exhibition opened on November 10th to rave reviews from UK art critics …….The Times commented on Sir Elton’s taste with ‘He’s definitely got one. An eye, that is. Radical or not, it’s bloody good’.  

Here’s a video of the man himself talking about sharing this passion of his with the world.