Photo: Brigitte Bardot. Photograph by Terry O'Neill, 1971. © Terry O'Neill.
Dodging the flash bulbs, Natasha Lavattiata hailed a passing limo, grabbed a bottle of bubbly and headed for the NPG for a brush with fame.
Apparently we live in the celebrity age. That is what it says on the inside cover of Terry O'Neill's new book, Celebrity. In fact, Terry O'Neill probably helped create the celebrity.
So it seems fitting to dedicate over four screens at the National Portrait Gallery's Balcony Gallery to his photographs. The Display coincides with the launch of his book, and is on show until March 14.
"Unlike many other photographers this is a classic rags to riches story," explained a National Portrait Gallery curator. "He came from nothing and he broke into America. Then he married the Hollywood star Faye Dunaway."
Photo: Frank Sinatra, Miami Beach. Photograph by Terry O'Neill, 1968. © Terry O'Neill.
Indeed his wedding to Dunaway, who won the Best Actress Oscar Award for the 1977 film Network, raised his profile around the world.
The display at the National Portrait Gallery begins with a photo of The Beatles, which O'Neill took in 1963. He shot the Rolling Stones in the same year and the Victoria and David Beckham of the 60s, Jean Shrimpton and Terence Stamp, in 1964.
He took a photo of the world's first supermodel, Twiggy, in 1965 on her doorstep with her mother. On the set of How to Steel a Million in 1966 he took a picture of the film's director William Wyler and Audrey Hepburn.
In 1971 he photographed a Top Mod at the time, the Rock singer, Rod Stewart and in the same year he photographed Brigitte Bardot.
Photo: Isabella Rossellini. Photograph by Terry O'Neill, 1984. © Terry O'Neill.
I suppose today's equivalent of Terry O'Neill is Mario Testino, but in the 60s, when O'Neill began taking photos of The Beatles or Audrey Hepburn there was less indecency. This is why today his pictures seem almost, unadventurous.
An onlooker at the exhibition commented: "The only fascinating thing about these pictures are the people."
His style is distinguished, especially if you are comparing him with the likes of today's Testino. In the sixties and seventies the 'shock' element wasn't like it is today.
The former Jazz drummer from the east end of London was born in 1938 and really wanted to go to America to pursue his musical ambitions.
Photo: David Bowie and Elizabeth Taylor. Photograph by Terry O'Neill, 1975. © Terry O'Neill.
The only way he could get there was to get a job as an air steward, so he made enquiries. However, the only job available at the airport was with the technical photographic unit.
O'Neill took the job and became more and more interested in photography. Later he got freelance work based at London Airport. His assignment was to take interesting pictures of subjects in the passenger terminal.
This lead to his first scoop; he snapped the Home Secretary of Harold Macmillan's Government fast asleep. A permanent post with the Sunday Dispatch followed and from 1960 to 1963, he was based at Fleet Street with the Daily Sketch.
The rest, as the saying goes, is history. O'Neill ended up collaborating with major society and fashion magazines, from Vogue and Paris Match to the Rolling Stones and Legends.
