From our sister site PhotoArchiveNews.com:
Sad news in this morning. News photographer James Gray died on Saturday 7 November 2020. He was 81 years old and was living in Brandon Suffolk.
‘Jimmy’ started his photo life at Keystone photo agency on Fleet Street and then staff at the Daily Mail as Royal photographer before going freelance.
At one point he moved to Scotland and bought a lighthouse to run as a B&B.
LOCH NESS MONSTER. Picture taken by semi-retired photographer James Gray (54) and Peter Levings when they were out fishing on the Loch.
A living shape rises from the waters of Loch Ness near Invermorriston.
James Gray
The Daily Mail sent PAN the photo below of Jimmy and a portrait “On a story about him taking a picture of the Loch Ness Monster in 2001!”
JOE BUGNER 1970
Boxer Joe Bugner, right, chats to Mail photographer James Gray…BOXER
. REXMAILPIX.
One of the last great characters of the Fleet Street era – his fellow photographers say Jimmy was a great operator and always great company on a job. … and this from a relative: ‘He always had projects on the go, whether it was doing up old cars or classic motorbikes ….that was something he had always done when he had the time…he could turn his hand to most things.’
PAN has heard a few good stories of Jimmy – if you would like to add yours please use the comments box below. Any photos of Jimmy shooting please email me at [email protected] and I will add them here.
If you know where his freelance images are – please send a link ! Updated: Greg at Shutterstock (from the Rex years) sent PAN this link to James’s images on the site.
A mob of press photographers clamour to photograph the winner of the ‘Miss World’ beauty contest, 23-year old Rita Faria, previously ‘Miss India’, after the competition in London. (Photo by Fox Photos/Getty Images)
Thanks to Photographer David Levenson for providing a few details on James’s life, Mo at the Daily Mail and Matt at the Hulton Getty archive for providing the Jimmy photos.
