When I began this series of posts on Sidney, I had originally planned to do just three, but since then I have had the privilege and the joy of reconnecting with several of his old colleagues, assistants and models, from the days when he ran one of London’s top advertising photography studios. Subsequently, I now have far more material – anecdotal and pictorial, than when I started out on this mission, and so this will now be number 3 of 5 posts in total.
The most striking – not to mention moving element of this process has been how each and every person I have been in contact with has had nothing but warm memories and kind words about Sidney and their time working at “The Studio”.
This post offers a small, illustrated, behind-the-scenes record of those exciting and pioneering times…
An early publicity shot of Sidney and his team (1964 – taken using a timer): Edgar Asher (TL), Henry Sudwarts (TR), Doreen Dahl (CL), Sidney (C), Faith Hollings (CR), Lawrence Sackman (F). Edgar was extremely tall and thin, and is the only person I know to break their leg playing the violin. He was a fine photographer in his own right and went on to work for the Israel Press and Photo Agency. Lawrence – the youngest of the group – learnt his craft well, and went on to a successful career in art and erotic photography, working with Guy Bourdin and Helmut Newton. More on the others below…
Probably taken by my father, Gerald Green (1960), this shows Sidney with Bill Young and my mother Hannah (far left – Sidney’s sister – and I’m presuming that the two other ladies were accompanying Sidney and Bill). Bill was my father’s partner and became good friends with Sidney. In addition to being an add-man he was also a darn good artist. Two of his gorgeous large oil landscapes adorned my childhood home and strongly influenced my own painting style…
Sidney with Henry Sudwarts, who contributed this and several others of the photos shown here and has some interesting recollections from his time at the Studio. Not only did he get to drive Sidney’s prized Alvis motor car, he also remembers a “Dell Boy”* -like handyman who used Sidney’s basement to stash away contraband cigarettes and radios off the back of a lorry! Henry too branched out on his own in fashion photography before moving into TV in Israel. Having married a South African in 1980 he then moved to Cape Town, where after 30 years working in things as diverse as jewelry and tourism, he picked up a camera again and became an acclaimed wildlife photographer . .
Doreen (left) and Faith from a mid-1960’s shot for BEA (British European Airlines) taken at Sagres on the southern Algarve of Portugal. The main purpose of the trip was a job for Women’s Own Magazine, and the girls were both assisting with the shoot. Faith, whose memories and information have been invaluable to me in compiling these posts, was one of Sidney’s photographic assistants. She has something interesting to say that “to his credit Sidney employed me as a photographic assistant even though I am a woman. Women of my age had to fight to earn a place in a male dominated profession and I had spent three years learning my craft at Guildford School of Art under the the wonderful Ifor Thomas, who was head of the Photographic Department.” Faith now lives in Portugal where she works for an animal charity…
Henry with Doreen . Doreen was Sidney’s secretary (or PA in today’s terminology), and also an aspiring classical timpanist. Faith and Doreen became friends, and she would sometimes help Faith with photographic duties, including setting up a darkroom on travelling shoots, such as the one above in Sagres. My mother, who did additional secretarial work for Sidney, also became very fond of Doreen. Sadly, I haven’t yet discovered what has become of her or her timpani playing?
One of Sidney’s later assistant photographers was Peter Watkins, pictured here on a shoot at the London Transport Museum in London’s Covent Garden. Peter also went on to have a successful career as a fashion photographer. The young chap seated is yours truly. During school holidays I often got to watch shoots, but this one stood out for the fact Peter drove me there in his open topped MGB GT – my first time in a convertible sportscar. Other notable photographers and set technicians who worked for and/or with Sidney from 1960-1975 and who also helped me with my research, included Brian Jaquest, Derek Berg and David Hendry.
*For those reading this not acquainted with the long-running British sitcom, “Only Fools and Horses”, Del Boy was a spiv (someone who deals in dodgy and black-market goods), and the program’s main protagonist.
Very entertaining piece, Adam. I look forward to the “bonus pieces”.
I’d love to understand how Edgar managed to break his leg playing the violin. Had he been playing the hand saw, I can envisage more mishap possibilities!
Thank goodness someone finally asked Ian!! It’s the first thing I would want to know reading this post: Edgar was (is, hopefully) extremely tall and also extremely thin and angular, and it was as he was leaning over, into a particularly expressive passage of the piece he was playing when his femur snapped under the strain. Just like that! And a really bad break too. I don’t think he ever picked up the instrument again.
Hi there. My name is Micki Fuller née Harlow and I worked as a Dental nurse/practice secretary for Sid and his partner Freddy Lind in the late 1950,’s early 1960’s. I was curious to see if I could find any news of Sid et voila I found all of the above. Am now in my mid 80’s and living in France.
How nice to hear from you Micki! I have replied to you more fully by email (including sending you a photo of someone who might be your good self), and am happy to answer any queries you may have through that medium…
Micki, I’ve emailed you again and sent you my alternative email address. As I said in that email, I have never had anyone complain of this problem before, so I suspect it is something going wrong at your end? Please do try both addresses again. Good luck!
ARKS, ADAM AND AXARQUIA 
How terrific that you were able to reconnect with some of these people.
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Yes, and that they all turned out to be so nice!
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Another fine tribute to Sidney!
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Thanks James!
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Very entertaining piece, Adam. I look forward to the “bonus pieces”.
I’d love to understand how Edgar managed to break his leg playing the violin. Had he been playing the hand saw, I can envisage more mishap possibilities!
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Thank goodness someone finally asked Ian!! It’s the first thing I would want to know reading this post: Edgar was (is, hopefully) extremely tall and also extremely thin and angular, and it was as he was leaning over, into a particularly expressive passage of the piece he was playing when his femur snapped under the strain. Just like that! And a really bad break too. I don’t think he ever picked up the instrument again.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi there. My name is Micki Fuller née Harlow and I worked as a Dental nurse/practice secretary for Sid and his partner Freddy Lind in the late 1950,’s early 1960’s. I was curious to see if I could find any news of Sid et voila I found all of the above. Am now in my mid 80’s and living in France.
LikeLiked by 1 person
How nice to hear from you Micki! I have replied to you more fully by email (including sending you a photo of someone who might be your good self), and am happy to answer any queries you may have through that medium…
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I cant send you any more mails. Your e.mail adress doesn’t
work for me.
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Micki, I’ve emailed you again and sent you my alternative email address. As I said in that email, I have never had anyone complain of this problem before, so I suspect it is something going wrong at your end? Please do try both addresses again. Good luck!
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