David Bailey’s progress through the ranks of London’s talented photographers was as rapid as it’s possible to be. While working for the John French Studio, one of London’s major advertising photographers, he took the opportunity to move on to John Cole’s Studio Five in 1960 before making the big move to Vogue magazine later in the same year. In this short probationary period he had also enhanced his reputation as a fashion photographer to such an extent that he was undertaking regular freelance work.
The Black Trinity
It was at Vogue that David Bailey really made his name though; London was establishing itself as the fashion capital of the world in the 1960s and Bailey, along with contemporaries such as Terence Donovan and Brian Duffy, was there to capture the events and celebrities on film. These three photographers ultimately became celebrities themselves, creating a kind of self-perpetuating circle in which everyone’s celebrity status rubbed off on everyone else. It was noted portrait photographer Norman Parkinson who christened the three snappers ‘The Black Trinity’.
David Baileys portrait of the Krays
Bailey’s ‘Box of Pin-Ups’, published in 1964, was probably his most iconic work and featured poster-prints of many of his celebrity clients from that era. It included names such as Mick Jagger, Andy Warhol, The Beatles and Rudolph Nureyev, among others. It was the first such release by any photographer and proved that Bailey’s name could sell such an item in away unknown previously. The set contained what is probably the most famous portrait of Ronnie and Reggie Kray, the East End gangsters whose allure allowed them to become part of the London celebrity scene.
At the same time it was Vogue magazine which provided Bailey with his day job, so to speak. He was an incredibly prolific producer of material during his stint with the magazine and his ability to photograph the supermodels of the era, such as Jean Shrimpton (who became his girlfriend) and Grace Coddington. Coddington said of him:
“It was the sixties, it was a raving time and Bailey was unbelievably good looking. He was everything that you wanted him to be – like The Beatles but accesible – and when he went on the market everyone went in. We were all killing ourselves to be his model, although he hooked up with Jean Shrimpton pretty quickly.”
As David Bailey’s star continued to shine, he began to move into other artistic mediums. Working in television, he directed advertisements and documentaries, notably programmes about Andy Warhol, Luchino Visconti and Cecil Beaton. In later years he directed more shows for various television companies including the BBC and South Bank Film.
Bailey and Jean Shrimpton
Album covers were another strong feature of Bailey’s work and the late 1960s saw a selection of work for artists such as The Rolling Stones, Cat Stevens and Marianne Faithfull. David Bailey is still working now and seems to constantly add to his inventory of books published, the latest being Heroes, a selection of portraits of British soldiers in Afghanistan. Similarly his exhibitions can be easily visited around the country and occasionally abroad.