Lewis Morley

Lewis Morley Born 16 June 1925

Autobiography: Black and White Lies

Morley is widely regarded as a key photographer of the Swinging Sixties. Born on 16 June 1925 to a Chinese mother and English father in Hong Kong he had a privileged upbringing as a member of the Eurasian class in the then British colony. He was said to have always been in the ‘right place at the right time’ and even looked on his internment by the Japanese in 1941 as a fortunate time – he had a girlfriend, worked in the kitchens and could swap anything for a couple of cigarettes.

After the war he went on to study at Twickenham Art School and lived in Paris as a painter in a pattern familiar to many great photographers. His first published photographs were in Photography Magasine in 1957 and The Tatler in 1958. The Lewis Morley Studios were founded in The Establishment, a London nightclub famous in retrospect for the introduction of satire.

Peter Cook and Dudley Moore

The words Lewis Morley and Christine Keeler are forever linked in time because of the photograph he took of her sitting astride an Arne Jacobson chair. Keeler’s affairs with Yevgeny Ivanov a Russian Naval attaché (spy) and John Profumo in 1963, Conservative Minister of War (Politician), were to lead the way to the downfall of the Conservative government at the following election. Described as a model and escort (prostitute) Keeler was not found to be attractive to Morley, who described her as reminding him of Vera Lynn.

Christine Keeler
Vintage gelatine silver print 1963

This episode of politics is worth in depth study in itself. The British tradition of maintaining respect for the private lives of politicians was blown out of the water in March 1963, Profumo was forced to resign after admitting lying to the House, apparently a worse sin than the original affair. Profumo, who was independently wealthy, went on to devote his entire life to volunteer work as a penance. But we digress.

The picture remains iconic, instantly recognisable and much parodied. Morley says he does not want to be remembered for the photograph as he had nothing to do with it apart from taking it, of course. The photograph was a publicity shot for a film that never was. Keeler had been contracted to do the shoot naked, but was unhappy about this, Morley cleared the studio and this was apparently the last shot on a twelve exposure film.

Keeler Contact Print

I am struck by the similarity in hand positioning in the Keeler picture and with Jim’s model. Morley gives her dignity and fulfils the terms of her contract.

Kim by James Woodings

His ‘lucky’ positioning of studio meant he was in direct contact with many people who were to be the trend setters of the sixties, Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, David Frost, Twiggy, Michael Caine, Joe Orton…..the list goes on. In his autobiography however, he describes himself as ‘deep-seated conservative,’ surprisingly he did not like the music or fashion of the sixties. He also describes ‘carrying a burden’ whether this is shame or guilt or a self dislike is unclear and probably a combination relating to his mixed heritage, failure as a painter and unfulfilled promises to people. He is heartily sick of the fame attached to him by the Keeler picture.


From 1960s on he took front of house photos for over 100 West End productions. He immigrated to Australia in 1971 and found extensive work with style magazines making a successful transition to colour. His photographs are on 33 of the first 75 covers of Australian Belle magasine.

Beyond The Fringe

A decade after the Keeler photograph he was asked to photograph a woman also attached to political scandal, Junie Morosi who became a public figure after her relationship with Jim Cairnes, an Australian politician. His reaction to her was entirely different to Keeler who he’d found pleasant but unexciting. He describes Morosi as exuding an electrical charge and was bowled over by her personality, she also spoke Cantonese so he’d found common ground there.

Although he was obviously strongly attracted to her and not to Keeler, the picture for me doesn’t have the strength and intrigue that he’d somehow managed to capture in that moment in time from 1963.

In 1989, his retrospective at the National Portrait Gallery, London commenced during the release of the film Scandal – on Keeler and Profumo.

Lewis Morley 1962