Lewis Morley

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Lewis Morley, born^[1] in Hong Kong, 1925, to English and Chinese parents, is a photographer. He was interned in Stanley Internment Camp during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong between 1941 and 1945, when he was released and went to the United Kingdom with his family. He studied at Twickenham Art School for three years, and spent time as a painter in Paris in the 1950s.

Perhaps best known for his photographs of Christine Keeler and Joe Orton, Morley began his career with assignments for magazines such as Tatler. He was also a successful theatre photographer.

Morley emigrated to Australia in 1971 with his wife Patricia and son Lewis. He did studio and commercial work until his retirement in 1987. His autobiography Black and White Lies was published in 1992.

In the mid nineties, Morley ventured into the gallery business when he opened The Lewis Morley Photographers Showcase. Embracing the great tradition of photographic salons, the gallery presented the work of a variety of local photographers from a range of genera including Robert Billington, Brett Leigh Dicks, Russell Kilbey, Brendan Read, Peter Solnace and Greg Rouse.

In 1999 Lewis Morley appeared in the Contemporary Australian Photographers series. It was followed in 2003 with the release of a film about his life and an exhibition Myself and Eye at the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra.

In 2006 an extensive exhibition showcasing 50 years of Lewis Morley work was displayed at the Art Gallery of NSW. This included 150 of his works covering fashion, theatre and reportage, many of which had never before been seen.