PAMELA CHANDLER (ARPS) (1928 - 1993)

'Chandler was one of the leading studio portrait photographers
of the 1950’s and 1960’s specialising in literary and theatrical
subjects’ The National Portrait Gallery, London

Pamela Chandler joined The Royal Photographic Society and gained her
Associateship in 1949 at the age of 21 and soon after opened her own studio
at Beauchamp Place in Knightsbridge where she pursued her photographic
career through the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. Over this period she photographed
many notable people of the time. Her portrait style, particularly with male
sitters, became distinctive and many dignitaries who wanted formal portraits,
were referred to Pamela.
In early 1960 she was commissioned to photograph the then Prime Minister,
Harold Macmillan, at 10 Downing Street, the first woman selected for such
a commission. She was also commissioned to take studies of HM Queen
Elizabeth II as an aide-mémoire for the sculptor, Ben Onwuwu.
In 1961 she was commissioned to take portraits of Professor JRR Tolkien. He
was not happy being photographed but liked Pamela’s portraits and in 1966
allowed her to take a further series of less formal photographs with his wife,
Edith, in his study and garden. As a result, the archive has probably the largest
available collection of photographs of JRR Tolkien in both b/w and colour.
Although she specialized in portraiture, her work included Theatre, Ballet,
Architecture, Industrial, Publicity shoots of various products for Advertising
Agencies, Pedigree Dogs and Countryside Activities.
In her archive, there is an extensive range of theatre photographs, many of
which were used as house photographs at the theatres. Her work at the ‘Old
Vic’ appeared in their series of books on ‘theatre photography’ alongside the
work of Angus McBean and Houston Rogers. (Her theatre work is represented by ArenaPAL, also available at TopFoto.)
After 25 years in photography, in 1975 she gave up her photographic career to
pursue an alternative career in writing.

Click here to view a sample gallery of images from Pamela Chandler