Celebrated photographer in focus as North East-based Allies Group published life’s work of Ian Berry
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From the Silk Road to Sicily and Africa to Ashington, photographic royalty Ian Berry captured every corner of the world in his own inimitable style. And 50 years after he stopped off in a bustling Northumberland town at the forefront of a thriving mining industry, a compelling new book compiling the very best of his striking work has been published.
The Quiet Man of Magnum tells the story of a daring, innovative, and instantly likeable character, who forged a reputation for telling globally significant stories through pictures.
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Hide AdHis life through a lens was documented by long-time friend and author John Cogan — a former head teacher who first met Berry over a meal at the Brasserie Blanc in Covent Garden. The pair combined to bring to life a 70-year career that took in the infamous Sharpeville massacre, the aftermath of Aberfan, and the Three Gorges Dam Project.

In 1974, fresh from a trip to Yugoslavia, Berry landed in the industrial North East where he captured the coalfield communities of County Durham and Northumberland. His evocative image of clean washing hanging on the line in a near-deserted Ashington terrace (page 122) perfectly captured a moment in time when coal was king.
Berry, born in Lancashire, moved to South Africa in 1952. Having taught himself photography, he landed jobs with the Daily Mail and Drum magazine before joining the Magnum staff. He shot to fame as the only photographer present at the Sharpeville massacre in South Africa, where his photographs were later presented in court as proof of no wrongdoing on the protesters’ part.
Ian Berry said: “Being a Northerner I spent quite a lot of time shooting in both the East and West, perhaps trying to discover my roots.
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Hide Ad“The North East was especially exciting because of the architecture and the social contrasts. Perhaps my favourite images are of three cloth-capped men passing in front of Durham Cathedral contrasting the washing amongst the back-to-backs in Washington.”

The glossy 185-page coffee table-style document of Berry’s best work was published by Tyneside-based Allies Group. Berry joined Cogan and the Allies team at Allies’ Newcastle Quayside offices for the book signing.
To buy a signed copy of The Quiet Man of Magnum, visit https://amzn.eu/d/ipl8Q1f