Robert Davidson (photographer)
Encyclopedia
Robert Davidson is a British
photographer, best known for the iconic image of Frank Zappa
sitting on a toilet in a London hotel room in 1967.
Born in Dundee
, he left school at seventeen years old to live in Paris
, where he met the Time Life photographer Emil Cadoo. Robert returned to London two years later and began to work in fashion photography
, taking the first test shots of Twiggy
.
In 1965, Robert became friends with Tony Secunda
, manager of The Moody Blues
, Procol Harum
and The Move
. Appointed Secunda’s official photographer, Robert photographed The Rolling Stones
, David Bowie
and Arthur Brown
.
During the 1970s he became a follower of the Indian guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, later known as Osho.
He is the father of Holly Davidson
- a British actress - and stepfather to the actress Sadie Frost
.
He has exhibited his work in the UK and in Europe.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
photographer, best known for the iconic image of Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
sitting on a toilet in a London hotel room in 1967.
Born in Dundee
Dundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
, he left school at seventeen years old to live in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, where he met the Time Life photographer Emil Cadoo. Robert returned to London two years later and began to work in fashion photography
Fashion photography
Fashion photography is a genre of photography devoted to displaying clothing and other fashion items. Fashion photography is most often conducted for advertisements or fashion magazines such as Vogue, Vanity Fair, or Elle...
, taking the first test shots of Twiggy
Twiggy
Lesley Lawson née Hornby known as Twiggy is an English model, actress, and singer. In the early-1960s she became a prominent British teenage model of swinging sixties London with others such as Penelope Tree....
.
In 1965, Robert became friends with Tony Secunda
Tony Secunda
Anthony Michael "Tony" Secunda was a British manager of rock groups in the 1960s and 1970s, including The Moody Blues, Procol Harum, The Move, and T...
, manager of The Moody Blues
The Moody Blues
The Moody Blues are an English rock band. Among their innovations was a fusion with classical music, most notably in their 1967 album Days of Future Passed....
, Procol Harum
Procol Harum
Procol Harum are a British rock band, formed in 1967, which contributed to the development of progressive rock, and by extension, symphonic rock. Their best-known recording is their 1967 single "A Whiter Shade of Pale"...
and The Move
The Move
The Move, from Birmingham, England, were one of the leading British rock bands of the 1960s. They scored nine Top 20 UK singles in five years, but were among the most popular British bands not to find any success in the United States....
. Appointed Secunda’s official photographer, Robert photographed The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
, David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
and Arthur Brown
Arthur Brown (musician)
Arthur Brown is an English rock and roll musician best known for his flamboyant, theatrical style and significant influence on Alice Cooper, Peter Gabriel, Marilyn Manson, George Clinton, Kiss, King Diamond, and Bruce Dickinson, among others, and for his number one hit in the UK Singles Chart and...
.
During the 1970s he became a follower of the Indian guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, later known as Osho.
He is the father of Holly Davidson
Holly Davidson
Holly Davidson is a British actress, model and personal trainer.She is most known for her recurring roles on the TV series' Renford Rejects, The Bill and Casualty, and roles in the films Final Cut, Van Wilder 2: Rise of the Taj and Essex Boys.She is the daughter of the photographer Robert Davidson...
- a British actress - and stepfather to the actress Sadie Frost
Sadie Frost
Sadie Frost is an English actress, who currently runs fashion label Frost French and has designed the kitchens for a new development in the East End of London.-Biography:Frost was born Sadie Liza Vaughan in London...
.
He has exhibited his work in the UK and in Europe.