In November 1963, Michael Ward was commissioned by Honey Magazine to photograph an up and coming group called The Beatles, in and around their hometown of Liverpool. He spent a day with them, culminating in recording their performance at the Cavern Club. The photographs taken that day remain a rare and unique record of the group that came to symbolise the cultural revolution of the 1960s.
In 1964 he was introduced to the picture editor of The Sunday Times, Christopher Angeloglou, which was the start of a long and fruitful career with the paper under editors Denis Hamilton and Harry Evans, covering many of the major stories and photographing celebrities of that time.
About the artist
Born in 1929, Michael Ward left his fourth boarding school at age 15 and was awarded a piano scholarship at Trinity College of Music, London. With no reflection on the college, he left three years later, unable to earn his living as a musician.
He then tried acting, following his father, Ronald Ward, who had been a successful West End actor for many years. Michael was not so successful and earned his living as a waiter, bartender and being a ‘runner’ with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studios.
In 1958 he arranged with Stirling Moss, star of international motor racing, to do pictures of him at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, having no camera of his own, he gratefully borrowed Stirling’s Rollieflex and sold a picture of his wife to “Woman’s Own”.
The following year, having bought his own cameras, he began freelancing for the Evening Standard Show Page and various magazines, taking pictures of actors and actresses and a few up and coming pop groups.
In November 1963, Michael Ward was commissioned by Honey Magazine to photograph an up and coming group called The Beatles, in and around their hometown of Liverpool. He spent a day with them, culminating in recording their performance at the Cavern Club. The photographs taken that day remain a rare and unique record of the group that came to symbolise the cultural revolution of the 1960s.
In 1964 he was introduced to the picture editor of The Sunday Times, Christopher Angeloglou, which was the start of a long and fruitful career with the paper under editors Denis Hamilton and Harry Evans, covering many of the major stories and photographing celebrities of that time
Michael died in April 2011.
