Norman Parkinson

Biography

Parkinson (birth name Ronald William Parkinson Smith) was born in London, and educated at Westminster School. He began his career in 1931 as an apprentice to the court photographers, Speaight and Sons Ltd. In 1934 he opened his own studio together with Norman Kibblewhite, in London's Piccadilly. From 1935 to 1940 he worked for Harper's Bazaar and Bystander magazines. During the Second World War he served as a reconnaissance photographer over France for the Royal Air Force. He first married in 1935 in Hampstead to Margaret (Peggy) Mitchell-Banks. His second marriage was to another fashion model Thelma Woolley in 1942. In 1947 he first met the actress his most important muse and model Wenda Rogerson who became his third wife. From 1945 to 1960 he was employed as a portrait and fashion photographer for Vogue. From 1960 to 1964 he was an Associate Contributing Editor of Queen magazine. In 1963 he moved to Tobago, although frequently returned to London, and from 1964 until his death he worked as a freelance photographer. He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1981 New Year Honours. He was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1983 when he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews.

Photography

Parkinson always maintained he was a craftsman and not an artist. From his early days as a photographer up to his death he remained one of the foremost British portrait and fashion photographers. His work, following the lead of Martin Munkacsi at Harper's Bazaar, revolutionised the world of British fashion photography in the '40s by bringing his models from the rigid studio environment into a far more dynamic outdoor setting. Humour played a central role in many of his photographs which often included himself. As well as magazine work he also created celebrated calendars featuring glamorous young women. When royal photographer, Cecil Beaton, died in 1980, Parkinson took over. Notable portraits included Princess Anne in 1971 and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother in 1980. In 1981, he was awarded the Royal Photographic Society's Progress Medal, which "carries with it an Honorary Fellowship of The Society" and later the Lifetime Achievement Award of the American Society of Magazine Photographers. He received a Google Doodle on 21 April 2013, in honour of his work.

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