Unseen snaps of David Bowie among photographs in Terry O'Neill retrospective exhibition
Rare pictures of David Bowie, Judy Garland, Brigitte Bardot and The Beatles are soon to be on display in a celebratory exhibition of the photographer who shot them.
The previously unseen work of Terry O’Neill, who documented “creative muse” Bowie throughout his career and snapped the most recognisable stars of the 60s and 70s, will be shown in a retrospective at Hampstead’s Zebra One Gallery this month.
A completely unique contact sheet from a now-legendary 1974 shoot with the singer, signed by both O’Neill and Bowie, will be on show, as well as signed contact sheets from his shoot with actress and girlfriend at the time, Faye Dunaway, the morning after she won her Academy Award for Network.
Another highlight of the exhibition will be a portrait of Bowie with Elizabeth Taylor, who were introduced after Taylor asked O’Neill to introduce them. The singer was four hours late to their lunch but, despite being furious, Taylor allowed O’Neill to snap some pictures of the two of them together.
Elton John at the Dodger Stadium, Frank Sinatra on the set of The Lady In Cement and Liza Minelli and Judy Garland onstage at the London Palladium are just a few more of O’Neill’s to be on display at Zebra One.
Born in the East End, O’Neill was there with his camera throughout the careers of some of the last century’s biggest stars, before his death at the end of 2019. He has 75 portraits in the National Portrait Gallery collection and remains the only photographer to have pictured every actor to play James Bond and every British Prime Minister from Winston Churchill to Gordon Brown.
Terry O’Neill: The Vintage Collection will run at Zebra One Gallery from September 15-29, zebraonegallery.com/terry-oneill
