John French
JOHN FRENCH (1906-1966) PHOTOGRAPHER
John French was one of London’s top fashion photographers of the 1950s and 1960s, an era when those who wore and photographed clothing for a living could become famous overnight. The models he worked with included the most famous of the time, many were debutantes who went on to become well-known society figures. French persuaded the art editors of the national press to use his flawlessly lit images of top models and his work appeared in virtually every newspaper and magazine. After his death the John French archive was presented to the Victoria and Albert Museum, the worlds greatest museum of decorative arts and design, and his work has been celebrated as part of a major exhibition ‘The Golden Age of Couture’.
Pierre Balmain evening gown, 1961
1950s
Ann Gunning
Anne Gunning in an Erik felt and velvet mandarin hat with veil, photo John French. London, UK, 1950
Helen Bunney, photo John French. London, UK, 1957
Jennifer Howland in a printed cotton playsuit, photo John French. London, UK, 1957
Marla Scarafia in a Federica printed cotton sunsuit, photo John French. London, UK, 1958
Marla Scarafia in Dorville striped T-shirt and Londonus striped jeans, and Susan Abraham in Susan Small summer dress, photo John French. London, UK, 1954
Anne Larsen
Barbara Goalen in a Hardy Amies town dress, photo John French. London, UK, 1952
Barbara Goalen in a Julian Rose layered net evening dress with Tommy Kyle, photo John French. London, UK, 1950
Fiona Campbell- Walter and Anne Gunning in two tailored suits, photo John French. London, UK, 1953
Fiona Campbell-Walter in a Polly Peck evening dress and stole, photo John French. London, England, 1950s
Barbara Miura with Madame Crystal printed rayon poult handbag and neck tie, photo John French. London, UK, 1953
Pat Goddard in Givan's strapless evening bodice with quilted skirt, photo John French. London, UK, 1953
Pat Goddard in Malcom Brown gingham blouse and jeans with Roger Moore, photo John French. London, UK, 1952
Sloppy Joe crew necked man's sweater, photo John French. London, England, 1950s
Susan Abraham in a John Cavanagh tiered evening jacket, dress and hat, photo John French. London, UK, 1954
Susan Abraham in a velvet evening dress, photo John French. London, England, 1950s
Susan Abraham in Brilkie spotted evening dress and June Clarke in Baker Sportswear floral evening dress, photo John French. London, UK, 1954
1960s
Grace Coddington in a Nina Ricci suit, photo John French. England, 1965
Dressed to Kill, photo John French. London, UK, 1963
Enid Boulting in a Nina Ricci suit of fine wool, photo John French. London, UK, 1960s
Nicole de la Marge in a Peter Shepherd velvet cap with large ostrich feather pom-pom, photo John French. London, UK, 1965
Nicole de la Marge in an Otto Lucas jersey scarf over an ocelot hat, photo John French. London, UK, 1964
Marie Lise Gres in a My Fair Lady inspired outfit, photo John French. London, England, 1960s
Marie Lise Gres in a Persian lamb hat, photo John French. London, England, 1960s
Marie Lise Gres modelling beachwear, photo John French. London, England, 1960s
Marie- Lise Gres, Moyra Swann and Paulene Stone in Mix' n' match' gingham outfits, photo John French. London, UK, 1965
Hiroko in a Pierre Cardin coat and hat, photo John French. London, England, 1965
Tania Mallet in a Femina Furs hat and coat, photo John French. London, England, 1960s
Tania Mallet in a Madame Paulette stiffened net picture hat, photo John French. London, UK, 1963
Twiggy in a fur coat, photo John French. London, England, 1963
Patti Boyd in a Mary Quant dress with the Rolling Stones, photo John French. England, 1964
Pattie Boyd and Celia Hammond in Edward Mann dots and moons helmets, photo John French. London, UK, 1965
Pattie Boyd in a nightdress, photo John French. London, England, 1960s
Paulene Stone in a Barbara Hulanicki dress for Biba, photo John French. England, 1964
Paulene Stone, London, England, 1960s
Pucci dress, photo John French. London, England, 1963
Ros Watkins in Nina Ricci wrap-over coat, photo John French. London, UK, 1961
Ungaro spotted outfit, photo John French. London, UK, 1965
Yves Saint Laurent 'smock' suit, photo John French. London, UK, 1962
Jean Shrimpton by John French
Jean Shrimpton and Celia Hammond by John French
Cilla Black, Lulu, Julie Grant, Marianne Faithful, The Vernon Girls and other 60s celebrities, photo John French. London, UK, 1960s
David Bailey about his friend, John French:
"...When he demobbed in August 1958, Bailey acquired a Canon Rangefinder camera and the ambition to make a living with it. He applied to the London College of Printing but was rejected because he'd dropped out of school. Instead, he wound up working as a second assistant to photographer David Olins at his studio in Charlotte Mews in the West End. He was a glorified gofer--not even glorified, actually, at three pounds, ten shillings a week--and was therefore delighted a few months later to be called to an interview at the studio of John French, a somewhat better-known name and a man who had a reputation for nurturing his assistants' careers.
French, then in his early fifties, was the epitome of the fashion photographer and portraitist of the era: exquisitely attired, fastidious, posh and gay (although, as it happened, married). "John French looked," Bailey remembered, "like Fred Astaire. 'David,' he said, 'do you know about incandescent light and strobe? Do you know how to load a ten-by-eight film pack?' I said yes to everything he asked and he gave me the job, but, at that time, I didn't even know what a strobe was. We became friends and after six o'clock Mr. French became John. One night I asked him why he gave me the job. 'Well, you know, David,' he said, 'I liked the way you dressed.' Six months later everyone thought we were having an affair, but in fact, although we were fond of each other, we never got it on."
In fact, French--"a screaming queen who fancied East End boys," according to documentarian Dick Fontaine--was the first person to really recognize something special in Bailey. Partly it was his bohemian style--Cuban-heeled boots, jeans, leather jacket and hair over the ears, all before the Beatles had been heard of; party in was his aptitude for the craft. French liked to compare his young protege to the unnamed hero of Colin MacInnes's cult novel about bohemian London, Absolute Beginners--a savvy insight--and he was perfectly willing, as he had with many previous disciples, to see Bailey get ahead in his own work.
"He was an incredibly decent type of man," Bailey would say of his mentor after French died in 1966. "I don't think he was very good as a photographer, but he had a good attitude. His photography sort of slowed me down a bit, because I had to break away from his way of doing things, but I benefited from his attitude."
Even more, he would say years later, "I owe my success to two gay men, really, who told me I was wonderful and pushed me. Being a Cockney and working class, I was an outsider, and in those days gays were outcasts, too. So we felt an affinity. Anyway, John French introduced me to the picture editor of the Daily Express, and John Parsons, the art director of British Vogue--the second gay man--saw my pictures in the newspaper and offered me a job at the magazine."