An exhibition displaying work by renowned American photographer Diane Arbus is coming to North Herts soon.

The exhibition, run by Artist Rooms in partnership with the Tate and the National Galleries of Scotland, is touring the country to mark the centenary of Arbus's birth.

Arbus was known as one of the most original and influential photographers of the twentieth century, and this exhibition includes some of her most iconic black and white portraits.

Born in New York in 1923, Arbus pioneered a bold approach that bridged the gap between documentary photography and fine art.

She began photographing in the 1940s, and her first published images appeared in Esquire magazine in 1960. Over the following ten years, she produced a body of work that celebrated the extraordinary in the ordinary lives, appearances and emotions of people.

She was particularly drawn to marginalised people and the sub-cultures of post-war American society. Through building relationships with her subjects, she was able to capture intimate portraits of couples, children, circus performers, drag artists, middle-class families and celebrities.

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North Herts Museum will also be displaying an accompanying exhibition from Hitchin Camera Club, 'Inspired by Arbus', in the Arches Gallery.

Cllr Keith Hoskins, executive member for enterprise and arts at North Herts Council, said: “This is really exciting for North Herts and the surrounding areas – it’s a rare opportunity to encounter Arbus’s remarkable work at first hand, and a compelling insight into the haunting and evocative imagery for which she is recognised worldwide.”

The Diane Arbus exhibition will be on display at North Herts Museum in Brand Street, Hitchin, from December 2 until February 25.

The accompanying Inspired by Arbus exhibition is on display from now until December 10.

North Herts Museum is open from 10.30am until 4.30pm from Tuesday to Saturday, and from 11am until 3pm on Sundays. Admission is free.