Artwork
Biography
Terry O’Neill (1938 – 2019) is one of the world’s most collected photographers with work hanging in both national and international art galleries and private collections. From presidents to pop stars, he photographed the frontline of fame for over six decades.
Born in Romford, Essex, O’Neill began his career working life as a Photographic Unit at London’s Heathrow Airport. During this time, he photographed a sleeping figure in the waiting area, who, by happenstance, was the then Home Secretary, Rab Butler. Thereafter, he found employment with The Daily Sketch at the birth of the Swinging Sixties. A tabloid known for its focus on picture journalism and human interest stories, O’Neill soon realised that youth culture was a breaking news story on a global scale. He began chronicling the emerging faces of film, fashion and music – many of whom would go on to define stardom for generations to follow.
As early as 1965 O’Neill was gathering commissions from some of the biggest magazine and newspaper players in the world. He photographed The Beatles and The Rolling Stones at their infancy as promising young bands in 1963. He pioneered backstage reportage photography with David Bowie and Elton John, whilst simultaneously following political figures like Winston Churchill and Nelson Mandela.
In 1992 O’Neill was invited to shoot Queen Elizabeth II’s official portrait, and subsequently he was awarded a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) for services to Photography in her 2019 Birthday Honours list. O’Neill noted at the time that it was “a huge honour. And I’m incredibly humbled by it. It’s a real recognition for the art of photography, as well. This isn’t just for me of course, it’s for everyone who has helped me along the way. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.”
The Terry O’Neill Archive is a lustrous catalogue of luminaries, including renowned images of Muhammad Ali, Brigitte Bardot, Sean Connery, Audrey Hepburn, Kate Moss and countless others. Several of his subjects, enamoured with his work, agreed to collaborate on special co-signed editions that are rare and extremely limited in numbers.
In 2004, he was awarded the Honorary Fellowship from The Royal Photographic Society, a Society Centenary Medal followed in 2011 for recognition of his continuous and significant contribution to the fine art of photography.
During his lifetime O’Neill’s images were inducted into both national and international collections, including the Metropolitain Museum of Art, New York, The Getty Museum, Los Angeles, and the Victoria & Albert Museum, London. The National Portrait Gallery, London, began showing his work in 1985 with the exhibition Stars of the British Screen; to this day over 50 of his most iconic popular culture images continues to shape their changing exhibitions and displays.
Image credit:
Self-Portrait, Circa 1990, courtesy of the Terry O’Neill Estate & Iconic Images.
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Media
Coming Soon: Iconic - The Terry O'Neill Story
A documentary feature film by award-winning creative director Oliver Murray.
Read: A Life In Pictures (2019)
The Guardian: Terry O’Neill captured an era of cultural and social revolution in Britain.
