Frazer Ashford - theatre, musical theatre, rock and pop and pantomime photographer.

During the late 1970's and the early 1980's Frazer gained a reputation for his imaginative rock and theatre photography. His subjects included such legends as Charlie Chaplin, Gene Pitney, The New Seekers, Rod Stewart, David Bowie, Elton John, Glenda Jackson and Dame Anna Neagle with many of his photographs published in newspapers, magazines and books as well as being featured in one-man exhibitions around the UK and America. In 1983 he hung up his cameras and stored all the negatives away from view.

25 years later, Frazer has re-discovered his original 130,000+ negative archive and by taking advantage of the latest digital technology, he is able to provide these images again, many for the first time. Frazer has also started taking pictures again and is in demand for providing both backstage and front-of-house production images. He has been awarded the Associateship of The Royal Photographic Society (ARPS).

John Timbers – theatre, television and British personalities photographer

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John’s archive is a wonderful collection of theatre productions, personalities, portraiture, film and television from the 1960s through to 2002. He started his career after photographic college as assistant to Anthony Armstrong-Jones (1st Earl of Snowden) before setting up on his own. His early projects include(d) working on the ground-breaking TV drama series Armchair Theatre, sessions with the Bond crew for From Russia With Love, and an assignment to photograph the cast of Beyond the Fringe. In 1960, his first contact with the Royal Court Theatre had him photographing the production of The Naming of Murderer's Rock, the directorial debut of John Bird and later that year he was back to photograph Orson Welles directing Laurence Olivier in Ionesco's Rhinoceros, and Rex Harrison for the production of Chekhov's Platonov.

John approached each subject with the same mixture of concentration and wit. He had the great ability to engage on a personal level and many of the performers and personalities he photographed became great friends. His last London exhibition was held at the Chelsea Arts Club and among the portraits was one taken in Brighton of Sir Ralph Richardson. The great actor had refused to go outside in the wind, not wanting to appear "looking like King Lear", but the session was a success. After Richardson's death, his widow said, "I just know Ralphy would want you to have his camera. I expect you'll find it useful." To John's astonishment, "She produced a Leica M3, circa 1957, in immaculate condition, with two or three additional lenses. I was completely gob-smacked." He found that the camera, the sort favoured by Cartier-Bresson, was one of the quietest ever made. John used it for the rest of his life. Four of his photographs are exhibited in the National Portrait Gallery.