John Downing (photographer)

John Downing (17 April 1940 – 8 April 2020) was a British photographer.[1]

John Downing
Born17 April 1940
Llanelli, Wales
Died8 April 2020(2020-04-08) (aged 79)
NationalityBritish
OccupationPhotographer

Biography

Downing was born on 17 April 1940 in Llanelli, Wales. He began his career as an apprentice photographer in 1956 for the Daily Mail, staying until 1961. He then worked for the Daily Express as a freelancer from 1962 to 1964, and then as a full-time photographer until 2001. He became head of the photography department in 1985.[2]

Significant events covered by Downing include the Vietnam War, the Bosnian Genocide, the Rwandan Genocide, the War in Afghanistan, and the Chernobyl disaster. He was the only photographer present at the Grand Brighton Hotel during an assassination attempt on Margaret Thatcher on 12 October 1984.[3]

He was honored in the World Press Photo of the Year contest three times: 1972,[4] 1978,[5] and 1981.[6] He was awarded British Press Photographer of the Year in 1977, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1984, 1988, and 1989. He was inducted into the Order of the British Empire in 1992 for his "service to journalism".[7]

Downing founding the British Press Photographers Association in 1984. In 2001, he retired from the Daily Express and became a freelance photographer. He died on 8 April 2020 at the age of 79.[1]

References
  1. "Fleet Street Photographer John Downing Who Documented War Zones in 100 States Dies Aged 79". Al-Bawaba. 9 April 2020.
  2. "John Downing". The Eye.
  3. "From Chernobyl to the Brighton bombing: the photography of John Downing". The Guardian. 15 June 2019.
  4. "1972 Photo Contest, General News, Singles, 2nd prize". World Press Photo.
  5. "1978 Photo Contest, General News, Stories, 3rd prize". World Press Photo.
  6. "1981 Photo Contest, Photo Sequences, Stories, Honorable mention". World Press Photo.
  7. "John Downing: Our former chief photographer on capturing history". Daily Express. 9 September 2019.
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