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Lewis Morley (British/Australian, 1925–2013).

The Story Of The Century: Christine Keeler [Profumo Affair]

1963. Two vintage silver gelatin photographs, photographer’s blindstamp on each image lower right, caption and photographer’s name on attached typed label and various copyright stamps verso, 22 x 29.4cm to 30.6 x 25.4cm. Creases, minor crinkles and tears, slight silvering and chips to edges.

Label includes “Please acknowledge photograph by Lewis Morley. Camera Press, London, 8793-[5 and 11].” Stamps include “Copyright Camera Press Ltd. Russell Court, Coram St, London.”

Camera Press was the agency assigned to manage the publicity for a film on Christine Keeler and the Profumo scandal. Lewis Morley was also hired by the film company to take the publicity shots of Keeler, who was originally cast to play herself but was rejected by Actors’ Equity. Actress, Yvonne Buckingham, was cast instead and appeared in the film’s promotional material in a variation of Morley’s iconic Keeler pose, shot by someone else. The film was released in 1963 outside of the UK, after being banned by the censors.

Morley used three rolls of film during the Keeler sitting, with the last exposure becoming his most iconic image. These two publicity shots are from the second roll of film; the close-up version being an enlarged crop of a full frame image. They are the only known vintage photographs of these images from this sitting in private hands. Ref: Lewis Morley: I to eye, 2011, pp158–159; BFI; Wiki.

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Item #CL195-127

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