Mel Stern self portrait – date not know.
Thank You to Mel’s daughter Sam and his brother Bernard for sending the Press Photo History Project these photos and details of the life of press photographer Mel Stern – below:
Malcolm, known as Mel, Stern was born in 1944 in Hackney, London. He attended schools in the East End of London and decided at the age of 13 that he wanted to be a photographer. He used to walk around different areas of London taking countless photos of landscapes, seascapes, people and anything else that caught his interest and that he thought would make outstanding photos to capture the imagination.
He achieved his ambition to become a photographer at the age of 16, working for a couple of well known photographic studios at the time in London’s West end.
He went on to become a freelance photographer, including taking photographs backstage of the Kinks when they appeared in concert in Brighton in the 1960s.
At the age of 20 he decided to travel with his friend, who was a war photographer, to Vietnam to take photographs there himself. He stayed in Vietnam for 6 months and then continued with his career, this time in Fine Art photography, but not before going to work on a farm in Essex for a year where he became a manager, including driving tractors even though he hadn’t yet passed his driving test! He taught students who had come over from Israel on a work experience placement, the workings of a farm and farming life in general.
Just before meeting Adrienne, he travelled to Spain and Italy taking photographs of a number of Artists / Painters, and went on to Majorca to take photos of various artists living on the island. He also met his childhood hero, Robert Graves, poet and author, staying at his home for a week taking numerous photographs of him in his home and in his garden some of which were commissioned to be exhibited in the National Portrait Galley in London.
In 2011, despite Mel having suffered a head injury, he approached the curators at Brighton Museum himself to exhibit his photography. They were so impressed by his photos that they agreed to exhibit his work, which took place from 17th January to 26th February 2012.
Photographer Malcolm (Mel) Stern 1944 – 2021
Mel died in his home town of Brighton on Monday 28th January 2021.
If you knew and worked with Mel and would like to send details to add to this memory story please contact me on [email protected] or here.
• PPHP Note: View Mel’s photo shoot with Robert Graves in 1972 in the National Portrait Gallery collection Here
• PPHP Note: View More Fox Photos info on the Press Photo History Project Here
