George Douglas was a prolific photographer who over the duration of his career, supplied Life Magazine and Picture Post with many of their celebrity portraits and photo journalistic projects revealing himself to be as quick with his camera as he was sensitive to his subjects. A long term resident of Sillwood Road in Brighton, he sadly passed away in 2010 but after Herculean attempts to index his work by his wife Jill, his glittering archive only became apparent to friends after she died in 2012.
Finn Hopson, the talent behind Brighton Photograpy resident in the Arches adjacent to the West Pier ruin, has championed his work by curating a captivating exhibition as part of the Brighton Festival Fringe. Included are such gems as this fraternal tribute from Richard Attenborough to his younger brother David, both at the infancy of their mutual careers. Richard Attenborough was a huge fan of the West Pier which he used as a primary location for the film ‘Oh What a Lovely War’ and there’s a certain serendipitous charm about he and Douglas reuniting in the shadow of the beloved Brighton landmark.
Douglas captures the intrinsic essence of many twentieth century icons including Audrey Hepburn at the start of her stratospheric rise to stardom, a vulnerable and isolated Vivien Leigh at the twilight of her fame and the beguiling sexuality behind a smouldering Diana Dors. The exhibition has been extended until mid-June and is a unique and fascinating insight into both the man behind the lens and those in front of it. For further details, click here.
