Brian Duffy (photographer)
Encyclopedia
Brian Duffy was a celebrated English photographer and film producer, best remembered for his fashion photography
of the 1960s and 1970s and his creation of the iconic "Aladdin Sane
" image for David Bowie
.
where he was taken in by the actors Roger Livesey
and Ursula Jeans
. After only three weeks his mother, unhappy about her four children being split up from the family insisted they all return to London. They were evacuated once more to Wales but returned to London having experienced living on a primitive farm after a month.
Once back in London Duffy, "had the most wonderful war", breaking into abandoned houses and terrorising the city streets. Only when it was over did he start school, attending a social engineering institution in South Kensington
that was run by the London County Council
. After getting into a series of bouts of trouble he was moved to another school in Kentish Town where emphasis was placed on treating troubled youths through cultural inclusion which involved trips to the Opera, ballets and galleries. It was here that Duffy unveiled his own creative tendencies and upon finishing school he applied to St. Martins School of Art
. In 1950 he began art school at first wishing to be a painter but soon changed to dress design. He finished in 1953 and immediately began working as an assistant designer at Susan Small Dresses after which he worked for Victor Steibel, preferred designer to Princess Margaret. Following this, on a visit to Paris, he was offered a job at Balenciaga
but was unable to take it up.
. It was here that he first came into contact with photography. Inspired by the photographic contact sheets he saw passing through the art director's desk he decided to find a job as a photographers assistant. Unsuccessfully, he applied for a job with John French
, after which he managed to get a job at Carlton studios and then at Cosmopolitan Artists. He left there to take a job as assistant the photographer Adrian Flowers. While working for Flowers he received his first photographic commission from Ernestine Carter, the then fashion editor of The Sunday Times
.
In 1957 he was hired by British Vogue
where he remained working until 1963. During this period he worked closely with top models of the period, including Joy Weston, Jennifer Hocking, Paulene Stone
and Jean Shrimpton
.
Along with fellow photographers David Bailey and Terence Donovan
, he captured, and in many ways helped to create, the "Swinging London
" of the 1960s: a culture of high fashion and celebrity chic. Together the "Terrible Three", as they came to be known by the British press, redefined not only the aesthetic of fashion photography but also the place of the photographer within the industry. Socialising with actors, musicians and royalty
, together they represented a new breed of photographer and found themselves elevated to celebrity status. Brian Duffy commented on the culture shock the three were to the industry:
Apart from Vogue, Duffy also worked for publications including Glamour
, Esquire
, Town Magazine, Queen Magazine as well as The Observer
, The Times
and The Daily Telegraph
. He also worked on contract for French Elle
for two periods the first between 1963 and 1968, and the second between 1971 and 1979.
As well as fashion photography, Duffy was the creative force behind record album sleeve art for three David Bowie
album covers, most notably the iconic Aladdin Sane
.
He was also successful within the advertising world shooting award winning campaigns for both Benson & Hedges
and Smirnoff
in the 1970s.
In 1965 Duffy was asked to create a Pirelli
calendar which he shot on location in Monaco
. He was commissioned to shoot a second calendar in 1973 which he created in collaboration with British pop artist Allen Jones
and air brush specialist Phillip Castle.
In 1967 he set up a film production company with Len Deighton
called Deighton Duffy and went on to produce the film adaptation
s of Deighton's book Only When I Larf
(1968), and of the musical Oh! What a Lovely War
, which was released in 1969.
In 1979 Duffy decided to give up photography, burning many of his negatives, though some were saved from the fire when the council objected to the smoke. Although a large number of his images have been lost, the ones that remain stand collectively as a comprehensive visual history of twenty-five years of British culture and fashion.
In 2009, at the behest of his son, Chris, Duffy resumed work as a photographer and shot images of people he had photographed in the 1960s and '70s. The story of his early career and comeback is documented in a BBC documentary shown in January 2010 titled The Man Who Shot the 60s.
Duffy died on 31 May 2010, after suffering from a degenerative lung disease.
In June 2011 Duffy's son Chris, authored a monograph of Duffy's images which was published by ACC Editions titled "Duffy - Photographer" and featured over 160 iconic images from the 50's, 60's and 70's.
In 2011 the Victoria and Albert Museum London requested Duffy prints for their permanent display.
Fashion photography
Fashion photography is a genre of photography devoted to displaying clothing and other fashion items. Fashion photography is most often conducted for advertisements or fashion magazines such as Vogue, Vanity Fair, or Elle...
of the 1960s and 1970s and his creation of the iconic "Aladdin Sane
Aladdin Sane
Aladdin Sane is the sixth album by David Bowie, released by RCA Records in 1973 . The follow-up to his breakthrough The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, it was the first album Bowie wrote and released as a bona fide rock star...
" image for David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
.
Early life
Duffy was born to Irish parents in London in 1933. During World War II he was evacuated with his two brothers and sister to Kings LangleyKings Langley
Kings Langley is a historic English village and civil parish northwest of central London on the southern edge of the Chiltern Hills and now part of the London commuter belt. The major western portion lies in the borough of Dacorum and the east is in the Three Rivers district, both in the county of...
where he was taken in by the actors Roger Livesey
Roger Livesey
Roger Livesey was a British stage and film actor. He is most often remembered for the three Powell & Pressburger films in which he starred: The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, I Know Where I'm Going! and A Matter of Life and Death...
and Ursula Jeans
Ursula Jeans
Ursula Jean McMinn was a British actress on film, stage, and television.Ursula Jeans was born in Shimla, British India, to British parents, and brought up and educated in London. She was the youngest of three siblings...
. After only three weeks his mother, unhappy about her four children being split up from the family insisted they all return to London. They were evacuated once more to Wales but returned to London having experienced living on a primitive farm after a month.
Once back in London Duffy, "had the most wonderful war", breaking into abandoned houses and terrorising the city streets. Only when it was over did he start school, attending a social engineering institution in South Kensington
South Kensington
South Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London. It is a built-up area located 2.4 miles west south-west of Charing Cross....
that was run by the London County Council
London County Council
London County Council was the principal local government body for the County of London, throughout its 1889–1965 existence, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today known as Inner London and was replaced by the Greater London Council...
. After getting into a series of bouts of trouble he was moved to another school in Kentish Town where emphasis was placed on treating troubled youths through cultural inclusion which involved trips to the Opera, ballets and galleries. It was here that Duffy unveiled his own creative tendencies and upon finishing school he applied to St. Martins School of Art
Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design
Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design is a constituent college of the University of the Arts London. The school has an outstanding international reputation, and is considered one of the world's leading art and design institutions...
. In 1950 he began art school at first wishing to be a painter but soon changed to dress design. He finished in 1953 and immediately began working as an assistant designer at Susan Small Dresses after which he worked for Victor Steibel, preferred designer to Princess Margaret. Following this, on a visit to Paris, he was offered a job at Balenciaga
Balenciaga
Balenciaga is a fashion house founded by Cristóbal Balenciaga, a Basque designer, born in the Basque Country, Spain. He had a reputation as a couturier of uncompromising standards and was referred to as "the master of us all" by Christian Dior. His bubble skirts and odd, feminine, yet ultra-modern...
but was unable to take it up.
Professional career
In 1955 he began freelancing as a fashion artist for Harper's BazaarHarper's Bazaar
Harper’s Bazaar is an American fashion magazine, first published in 1867. Harper’s Bazaar is published by Hearst and, as a magazine, considers itself to be the style resource for “women who are the first to buy the best, from casual to couture.”...
. It was here that he first came into contact with photography. Inspired by the photographic contact sheets he saw passing through the art director's desk he decided to find a job as a photographers assistant. Unsuccessfully, he applied for a job with John French
John French (photographer)
John French was an English fashion and portrait photographer.Born in Edmonton, London, French originally trained and worked as a commercial artist, becoming a photographic director in an advertising studio just before World War II, during which he served as an officer in the Grenadier Guards.In...
, after which he managed to get a job at Carlton studios and then at Cosmopolitan Artists. He left there to take a job as assistant the photographer Adrian Flowers. While working for Flowers he received his first photographic commission from Ernestine Carter, the then fashion editor of The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
.
In 1957 he was hired by British Vogue
Vogue (magazine)
Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began...
where he remained working until 1963. During this period he worked closely with top models of the period, including Joy Weston, Jennifer Hocking, Paulene Stone
Paulene Stone
thumb|right|200px|Paulene StonePaulene Stone is a former Vogue cover girl who embodied Swinging London in the 1960s.A top English fashion model of the sixties, she gave birth to actor Laurence Harvey's only child, Domino Harvey. A 1960 image of her that ran in the Daily Express helped to launch...
and Jean Shrimpton
Jean Shrimpton
Jean Rosemary Shrimpton is an English model and actress. She was an icon of Swinging London and is considered to be one of the world's first supermodels....
.
Along with fellow photographers David Bailey and Terence Donovan
Terence Donovan (photographer)
Terence Daniel Donovan was a British photographer and film director, best remembered for his fashion photography of the 1960s. He oversaw the music video to Robert Palmer's "Addicted to Love" and "Simply Irresistible".Donovan was born in Stepney in the East End of London to Lilian Constance V...
, he captured, and in many ways helped to create, the "Swinging London
Swinging London
Swinging London is a catch-all term applied to the fashion and cultural scene that flourished in London, in the 1960s.It was a youth-oriented phenomenon that emphasised the new and modern. It was a period of optimism and hedonism, and a cultural revolution. One catalyst was the recovery of the...
" of the 1960s: a culture of high fashion and celebrity chic. Together the "Terrible Three", as they came to be known by the British press, redefined not only the aesthetic of fashion photography but also the place of the photographer within the industry. Socialising with actors, musicians and royalty
Royal family
A royal family is the extended family of a king or queen regnant. The term imperial family appropriately describes the extended family of an emperor or empress, while the terms "ducal family", "grand ducal family" or "princely family" are more appropriate to describe the relatives of a reigning...
, together they represented a new breed of photographer and found themselves elevated to celebrity status. Brian Duffy commented on the culture shock the three were to the industry:
Apart from Vogue, Duffy also worked for publications including Glamour
Glamour (magazine)
Glamour is a women's magazine published by Condé Nast Publications. Founded in 1939 in the United States, it was originally called Glamour of Hollywood....
, Esquire
Esquire (magazine)
Esquire is a men's magazine, published in the U.S. by the Hearst Corporation. Founded in 1932, it flourished during the Great Depression under the guidance of founder and editor Arnold Gingrich.-History:...
, Town Magazine, Queen Magazine as well as The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
, The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
and The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
. He also worked on contract for French Elle
Elle (magazine)
Elle is a worldwide magazine of French origin that focuses on women's fashion, beauty, health, and entertainment. Elle is also the world's largest fashion magazine. It was founded by Pierre Lazareff and his wife Hélène Gordon in 1945. The title, in French, means "she".-History:Elle was founded in...
for two periods the first between 1963 and 1968, and the second between 1971 and 1979.
As well as fashion photography, Duffy was the creative force behind record album sleeve art for three David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
album covers, most notably the iconic Aladdin Sane
Aladdin Sane
Aladdin Sane is the sixth album by David Bowie, released by RCA Records in 1973 . The follow-up to his breakthrough The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, it was the first album Bowie wrote and released as a bona fide rock star...
.
He was also successful within the advertising world shooting award winning campaigns for both Benson & Hedges
Benson & Hedges
Benson & Hedges is a British brand of cigarettes owned by the Gallaher Group, which became a subsidiary of Japan Tobacco in 2007. They are registered in Old Bond Street in London, and are manufactured in Lisnafillen, Ballymena, Northern Ireland for the UK and Irish markets.-History:Benson & Hedges...
and Smirnoff
Smirnoff
Smirnoff is a brand of vodka owned and produced by the British company Diageo. The Smirnoff brand began with a vodka distillery founded in Moscow by Pyotr Arsenievich Smirnov , the son of illiterate Russian peasants. It is now distributed in 130 countries.Smirnoff products include vodka, flavored...
in the 1970s.
In 1965 Duffy was asked to create a Pirelli
Pirelli
Pirelli & C. SpA is a diverse multinational company based in Milan, Italy. The company, the world’s fifth largest tyre manufacturer, is present in over 160 countries, has 20 manufacturing sites around the world and a network of around 10,000 distributors and retailers.Founded in Milan in 1872,...
calendar which he shot on location in Monaco
Monaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
. He was commissioned to shoot a second calendar in 1973 which he created in collaboration with British pop artist Allen Jones
Allen Jones (sculptor)
Allen Jones RA is a British pop artist, best known for his sculptures. He lives and works in London.Jones was born in Southampton and from 1955 to 1961 studied at the Hornsey College of Art...
and air brush specialist Phillip Castle.
In 1967 he set up a film production company with Len Deighton
Len Deighton
Leonard Cyril Deighton is a British military historian, cookery writer, and novelist. He is perhaps most famous for his spy novel The IPCRESS File, which was made into a film starring Michael Caine....
called Deighton Duffy and went on to produce the film adaptation
Film adaptation
Film adaptation is the transfer of a written work to a feature film. It is a type of derivative work.A common form of film adaptation is the use of a novel as the basis of a feature film, but film adaptation includes the use of non-fiction , autobiography, comic book, scripture, plays, and even...
s of Deighton's book Only When I Larf
Only When I Larf
Only When I Larf is a late 1960s British comic thriller describing the activities of a team of three fictional confidence tricksters led by Silas Lowther , his girlfriend Liz Mason and wannabe apprentice and Liz-worshipper Bob...
(1968), and of the musical Oh! What a Lovely War
Oh! What a Lovely War
Oh! What a Lovely War is a musical film based on the stage musical Oh, What a Lovely War! originated by Charles Chilton as a radio play, The Long Long Trail in December 1961, and transferred to stage by Gerry Raffles in partnership with Joan Littlewood and her Theatre Workshop created in 1963,...
, which was released in 1969.
In 1979 Duffy decided to give up photography, burning many of his negatives, though some were saved from the fire when the council objected to the smoke. Although a large number of his images have been lost, the ones that remain stand collectively as a comprehensive visual history of twenty-five years of British culture and fashion.
In 2009, at the behest of his son, Chris, Duffy resumed work as a photographer and shot images of people he had photographed in the 1960s and '70s. The story of his early career and comeback is documented in a BBC documentary shown in January 2010 titled The Man Who Shot the 60s.
Duffy died on 31 May 2010, after suffering from a degenerative lung disease.
In June 2011 Duffy's son Chris, authored a monograph of Duffy's images which was published by ACC Editions titled "Duffy - Photographer" and featured over 160 iconic images from the 50's, 60's and 70's.
In 2011 the Victoria and Albert Museum London requested Duffy prints for their permanent display.
Family
Duffy married June when he was twenty one years old. The couple had four children, Christopher, Charlotte, Samantha and Carey.Further reading
- "Photography's impact on the 60s" (in English). BBC. 9 August 2002. Retrieved on 10 September 2007.
External links
- Duffy Photographer
- National Portrait Gallery
- Vogue
- Rock Explosion Website
- Chris Beetles Gallery
- www.lucy-bell.com Lucy Bell Fine Art: The Third Man: Brian Duffy: A Retrospective: Opens 28 September 2010—19 November 2010 Gallery Open Tuesday-Saturday 11am-4pm