Edward Leigh (Photographers), Cambridge

Edward Leigh (1913-1998)

Working Dates: 1946 -1983

One of the few professional photographers to obtain a prestigious Fellowship of the Royal Photographic Society as well as a Fellowship of the Institute of British Photographers, the professional photographers' own body, Edward Leigh has been described as a true artist with a camera. His photographic career spanned over 50 years. Before WW2 he worked as a fashion photographer and a stills cameraman for Fox Film Studios, later 20th Century Fox. During the war his printing skills were employed by RAF Oakington to process at great speed the aerial recognisance photographs which were assembled into the mosaic maps used by Bomber Command.

After the war Edward set up his own studio on Kings Parade in the centre of Cambridge, living on the premises. Edward did a great deal of work for University Departments and Cambridge Colleges, from groups of freshers to graduation ceremonies, visiting Royals to portraits of fellows and, one of his many favourite assignments, work for the Peyps Library at Magdalene College. Many of his architectural photographs have been used for decades in books on Cambridge. He was a much sought after industrial photographer, skilled in the use of lighting and good at composition.

When Edward retired, his son John Edward Leigh took over the business, still at 22 Derby Road, Cambridge, which he listed as specialising in advertising photography, for a short period around 1983-85, before the business finally closed.

Working for Edward Leigh at different times were Doug Rattle, Peter Lofts and Frank Bird.

Address: 19 Kings Parade, Cambridge
From 1970 onwards at 22 Derby Road, Cambridge

https://www.fadingimages.uk/photoLe.asp