Brian Duffy (photographer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Brian Duffy
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Self-portrait of Duffy, 1968
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| Born | 15 June 1933 |
| Died | 31 May 2010 (aged 76) |
| Occupation | Photographer, film producer |
| Children | Christopher, Charlotte, Samantha & Carey |
Brian Duffy (born June 15, 1933 – died May 31, 2010) was an English photographer and film producer. He is best known for his amazing fashion and portrait photos from the 1960s and 1970s.
Contents
Early Life and Creative Start
Brian Duffy was born in London in 1933. During World War II, he was sent away from London twice for safety. First, he stayed with actors Roger Livesey and Ursula Jeans. Then, he went to a farm in Wales. After the war, Brian started school. He went to special schools that helped kids find their talents through art and culture. This is where he discovered his creative side!
In 1950, he began studying painting at Saint Martin's School of Art. He soon switched to dress design, where he learned about fashion. After finishing school in 1953, he worked for famous fashion designers like Susan Small and Victor Stiebel. He even had a chance to work for Balenciaga in Paris, a very famous fashion house, but couldn't go because his wife was expecting their first child.
Becoming a Photographer
In 1955, Brian Duffy started working as a fashion artist for Harper's Bazaar magazine. He saw many cool photos and decided he wanted to be a photographer himself. He got a job helping photographer Adrian Flowers. Soon, he got his first photo job from the fashion editor of The Sunday Times.
In 1957, Duffy joined British Vogue, a very important fashion magazine. He worked there until 1962, taking pictures of top models like Jean Shrimpton. He even introduced Jean Shrimpton to another famous photographer, David Bailey.
The Swinging Sixties and the 'Black Trinity'
Brian Duffy, along with David Bailey and Terence Donovan, became super important during the 'Swinging Sixties'. This was a time in London when fashion, music, and culture were really exciting and new. People called them the 'Black Trinity'. They changed how fashion photography looked and made photographers famous, like celebrities! Duffy once joked about how different they were from older photographers: "Before 1960, a fashion photographer was tall, thin, and camp. But we three are different: short, fat, and heterosexual!"
After leaving Vogue, Duffy continued to take fashion photos for many magazines. These included Nova, Cosmopolitan, and Elle in France. He also took amazing photos for advertisements, winning awards for campaigns like Benson & Hedges and Smirnoff. He even came up with the idea for the famous Silk Cut cigarette ads.
Pirelli Calendars and Film Work
Duffy was chosen to photograph the Pirelli Calendar twice, in 1965 and 1973. This was a big deal because only a few photographers got to do it more than once. He also started a film company with writer Len Deighton. They produced movies like Only When I Larf and Oh! What a Lovely War.
Working with David Bowie
Brian Duffy worked closely with the music superstar David Bowie for eight years. He took photos for three of Bowie's most famous album covers:
- Aladdin Sane (1973) - This is the iconic image with the red and blue lightning bolt on Bowie's face.
- Lodger (1979)
- Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) (1980)
Duffy's photos helped create Bowie's famous, ever-changing public image. In 2014, a book called Duffy Bowie: Five Sessions was written about their work together.
A Big Change
In 1979, Brian Duffy suddenly stopped taking photos. He even tried to burn many of his photo negatives in his studio yard! Luckily, his neighbors stopped him, and many of his amazing pictures were saved. These saved photos now show a wonderful visual history of 25 years of British culture and fashion. His life and work were even featured in a BBC Four documentary called The Man Who Shot the 60s.
Beyond Photography
After photography, Duffy moved into directing television commercials. He directed music videos for popular bands like Spandau Ballet ("Gold"), ABC ("All of My Heart"), and The Human League ("Mirror Man").
Later, in 1990, Brian Duffy retired from all image-making. He followed his passion for restoring old furniture and became an expert in it.
Death
Brian Duffy passed away on May 31, 2010. He had a lung disease called pulmonary fibrosis.
His Amazing Legacy
In 2008, Brian's son, Chris Duffy, started The Duffy Archive to preserve and share his father's incredible work. Since then, interest in Duffy's photos has grown a lot.
Exhibitions and Books
Duffy's work has been shown in many important museums and galleries around the world. These include:
- The Museo Nazionale Alinari della Fotografia in Florence, Italy
- The National Portrait Gallery in London
- The Tate Liverpool
- The V&A Museum in London
In 2011, Chris Duffy wrote a book called Duffy - Photographer, which featured over 160 of his father's iconic images. The V&A Museum even asked for some of Duffy's prints for their permanent collection.
The Iconic David Bowie Image
In 2013, The Duffy Archive provided a never-before-seen photo of David Bowie for the 'David Bowie is' exhibition at the V&A Museum. This image, from the Aladdin Sane photo shoot, became the main picture for the entire exhibition! It toured the world and became almost as famous as the original Aladdin Sane album cover itself.
Brian Duffy was even included in the 2013 Professional Photographer list of the 100 most influential photographers of all time. His work continues to be celebrated and displayed in major exhibitions, showing his lasting impact on photography and culture. In 2020, a BBC documentary called 'Secrets of the Museum' showed Chris Duffy donating another amazing David Bowie photo to the V&A for their collection.
