Identities of ‘Mystery’ Portrait Subjects from 1950s-60s Revealed

Individuals previously unidentified in portrait photographs captured during the 1950s and 1960s have come forward following a public appeal to locate them. These images were created by Herbert Shergold, who operated a studio situated on Gloucester Road in Bristol, employing glass plate negatives to give his subjects a cinematic appearance. A collection of Shergold’s works was featured in an exhibition hosted at The Launderette on Cheltenham Road. During this event, the organizer of the Bristol Photo Festival initiated a call for individuals depicted in the photographs to identify themselves. Their contemporary and historical images are presented below. Ricky Ford, pictured above, has been active as a singer within the Bristol music scene for almost 70 years. He commenced performing in cinemas and theatres across the city and its environs starting at 15 years old. At one point, his agent directed him to obtain professional photographs for use in advertising and media. Now 84 years old, Ricky was among those who responded to the appeal, sharing his photographs, which he continues to utilize for promotional purposes. “I’m so happy he’s getting the recognition he deserves,” Mr Ford stated. “There’s something that sets him apart form the rest.” He added, “I was just expecting a standard studio picture like you would get of happy families, but when I saw what Shergold made I just thought: ‘Oh my god is that me?’” Mr. Ford attended his session with Shergold dressed in a suit and bow tie, anticipating a traditional studio photograph. Nevertheless, upon learning Mr. Ford was a pop singer, Shergold requested he remove the formal attire and proceeded to capture a second portrait. “That picture has stayed with me all my life and the power of it has been amazing,” Mr Ford commented. “I just couldn’t believe what he had created, he really was a class above the rest.” Janetta Tovey’s former employer funded her photographs for entry into a national Miss Betting Shop beauty competition. “It was a big deal back in those days because a professional photograph was very expensive,” Ms Tovey stated. “I was very nervous but he was a nice man and treated me very well. It was a big deal to go to his place in those days. Everyone knew he was the best,” she recounted. Ms Tovey had several distinct photographs taken during her visit but retained only a portion of them, not seeing the others until her attendance at the exhibition. “I didn’t expect it to be there and it was the first thing I saw as soon as I walked in,” she remarked. David Wilson, who grew up close to Gloucester Road, recalled visiting to have his photograph taken by the individual he knew solely as Bertie. “He was a friend of my mother’s so she must have sorted it,” Mr Wilson explained. “I just remember going down all suited and booted and him getting me to take my jacket and tie off so I looked more casual. That was his style,” he stated. “I thought I looked like a movie star but I remember showing it to a girlfriend at the time and she hated it because she said it looked nothing like me,” Mr Wilson added. Mr Wilson was quite young at the time and indicated he knew little about Herbert, apart from the fact that a photograph taken by him was always identifiable by its distinctive Hollywood aesthetic. “Everyone seemed to know him back in the day,” he observed. Mr Shergold passed away in 1982 without public recognition or known relatives, and the exhibition at Bristol Photo Festival marks the inaugural public display of his work. He utilized glass plate negatives, a photographic method considered outdated by then, having been more prevalent in the late 19th century. Alejandro Acín, the exhibition organiser, stated: “We’ve had people come in and recognise themselves, their family and their friends.” “We had one lady who recognised her aunt who was in a jazz band and used her Shergold photograph right throughout her career,” Acín further noted. Additionally, some attendees of the exhibition have presented their personal collections. “One man came in with a collection of glass plate negatives and in there was a self portrait of Herbert himself,” Mr Acín reported. “We have dozens of photos taken by him but we only had one grainy newspaper clipping with a photo of him,” he added. For updates, follow BBC Bristol on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Story ideas can be submitted via email or WhatsApp at 0800 313 4630. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding its external linking policy is available.