Biography

1929

Born Cambridge, part Welsh

1947/51

Studied chemistry at Balliol College, Oxford. First Photographs

1951/55

Hugo van Wadenoyen became a mentor. Assisted him on the CS Exhibitions

1951

Photographed the OU Experimental Film Group's abstract ballet film "Between Two Worlds". Four pages of colour were published in the Picture Post

1954

Came to London as a freelance photographer. Begun to photograph in street markets and slum streets

1956

Exhibition at ICA started reputation as a photographer of children and social realism

1957/62

Active in photojournalism. Worked on commissions for Sun Times and Time & Tide. Work also appeared in Observer, Vogue, Queen, New Left Review and Peace News. Wrote a number of articles for Amateur Photographer (press cuttings books are held by the V&A).

1958/65

Photographed a number of Royal Court plays

1961

"Portrait of Southam Street" published in Uppercase 5

1962

Married Ann Jellicoe

1962/63

Photographed in colour for a commission"The British at Leisure" for the British pavilion at the Milan Triennale in 1964. The slides were projected on five screens - over 300 in 51/2 mins to a jazz score

1962 & 5

Photographs in Spain and Greece extend street photography to Mediterranean subjects

1966/69

Taught at Bath Academy of Art, Corsham

1966

Birth of first child, Katkin. Prompted an extensive series of the two children (Tom 1969)

1968/72

Collaborated with Ann Jellicoe on "The Shell Guide to Devon"

1975

Moved to Lyme Regis, Dorset

1976/79

Resumed Landscape photography, much of it in colour

1978/84

Mediterranean photographs in Dubrovnik, Rhodes and Corfu

1978/92

Photographed Community Plays, mostly directed by Ann Jellicoe, for the Colway Theatre Trust

1980

Started drawing, etching and painting

1982

South West Arts major award enabled photographs in NW Scotland 1983

1986

V&A Retrospective revived interest in his work, especially of Southam Street

1989

BBC Timewatch film on Southam Street by Renee van der Floodt

1991

Resumed family photographs with the birth of first grandchild, Zoe

1993

Photographed in Paris and Iceland

1998 and 2001

Photographed in North Spain

1999

Photographed in Tuscany

2000/04

Photographed in Canary Islands and Spain, in particular Seville 2000 and Madrid 2002

2000 onward

Photography of grandchildren intensified with the addition of Leon, Poppy, Iris and Ralph

2004

Photographed in Aswan, Upper Egypt

2001 onward

Photographs exhibited at Tate St Ives, Tate Britain and Tate Liverpool in the context of other media

2006

Lucie Award, New York for Achievement in Documentary

2007

Photograph chosen as poster image for Tate Britain's "How We Are": Photographing Britain