Born in London, England, United Kingdom
Ancestors 
[sibling(s) unknown]
[spouse(s) unknown]
[children unknown]
Died
at age 76
in Singapore
Profile last modified
| Created 12 Sep 2017
This page has been accessed 547 times.
Biography
Norman (Smith) Parkinson CBE is Notable.
Norman was born in 1913. He was the son of William Smith and Louise Cobley.
His birth name Ronald William Parkinson Smith but he went by the name Norman Parkinson. He was educated at Westminster School.
Norman began his career in 1931 as an apprentice to the court photographers, Speaight and Sons Ltd. In 1934 he opened his own studio together with Norman Kibblewhite, in London's Piccadilly. From 1935 to 1940 he worked for Harper's Bazaar and Bystander magazines.
During the Second World War he served as a reconnaissance photographer over France for the Royal Air Force.
He married Margaret (Peggy) Mitchell-Banks in 1935 in Hampstead.
He married, secondly, fashion model Thelma Woolley in 1942.
In 1947 he first met the actress (his most important muse and model) Wenda Rogerson, who became his third wife.
From 1945 to 1960 he was employed as a portrait and fashion photographer for Vogue Magazine and from 1960 to 1964 he was an Associate Contributing Editor of Queen magazine.
In 1963 he moved to Tobago, although frequently returned to London, and from 1964 until his death he worked as a freelance photographer.
He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1981 New Year Honours. He was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1983 when he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews.
He passed away in 1990. From his early days as a photographer up to his death he remained one of the foremost British portrait and fashion photographers. *
Notes: Clarissa Lablache Cheer added: He was buried a hundred yards from the door of his house in the Caribbean, a cliff top villa on Tobago. According to a British newspaper report, buyers of his 290.000 pounds villa were warned in advance, that he promised to come back and haunt it.
Sources
- Death: http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O248779/womens-home-industries-photograph-parkinson-norman/
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Rejected matches › Louis Norman Smith (1911-1988) › Norm H. Smith › Ronald Smith (1912-1992) › Donovan N. Smith Sr. › Norman Barnes Smith (1912-1990) › Ronald Malhomme Parkinson (1913-)
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Categories: England, Photographers | England, Notables | Notables