Century of Style

Many of the tropes that are now commonplace in photographic images - exotic locations, unexpected props and weird juxtapositions - were introduced in the extraordinary photographs Norman Parkinson took before and after the Second World War.

Parkinson set up his first studio in 1934, and before the war he worked for magazines such as Harper’s Bazaar and The Bystander, from 1945 to 1960 he worked for Vogue. After moving to Tobago in 1963, he became a freelance photographer, dividing his time between fashion and portraits, running the gamut from members of the royal family to movie stars, politicians and The Beatles. He was responsible for the early success of models such as Celia Hammond, Grace Coddington and Jerry Hall, who first worked with him in 1975.

The National Theatre exhibition covers all aspects of his long career until his death in 1990 and is a definite must see!

To close with an interesting side information: Parkinson was not only a successful photographer but also set up a pig farm in Tobago, and for years his Famous Porkinsons Bangers were served on Concorde and at The Ritz!