Tor Hildyard: Memories of working with Adrian Flowers (1974-1977)

I first came to hear about Adrian when I was on holiday in Corfu in 1974. A friend of Kathy Vibert, who worked for Adrian, was also staying in the cottage and mentioned that Adrian was looking for another assistant.

When I got back from holiday, Kathy contacted me and asked if I would like to come for an interview. I had never been to a job interview before, let alone worked in photography and had only used a Zenit EM, but I was keen to learn and along I went to his studio in Tite Street.  Adrian was sitting on his old leather sofa in the reception room and began to question me on why I wanted to work for him, I think by the end, he only offered me the job because I had the right birth sign, Aquarius and was taller than his first assistant, Steve Garforth, so could reach things he couldn’t.

When I started working at Tite Street, Gala was the PA [see https://adrianflowersarchive.com/gala/]; later to be replaced by Issi Thomas. Steve Garforth the first assistant, [see https://adrianflowersarchive.com/steve-garforth/], Terry was the technician and film developer and Sigi was his agent. There was also the lovely Petrona, who kept the studio looking spick and span and fed us delicious West African food for a Christmas treat. I was paid the vast some of £10.00 a week, which I thought was a fortune and was catapulted into the world of advertising and long days.

It wasn’t long before I was promoted to help Terry develop the film, first by hand and then using the Adrian’s new toy, the Kalenta.  This machine was able to develop all that day’s shoot in one go and no more fumes to inhale. Magic. 
Until the 3-day week! Then disaster struck. With no warning at all, all the power was switched off and we were plunged into darkness, sometimes for hours. If this happened during the development of the film, all the chemicals poured in at once, immediately ruining the days shoot. So, to get over this, Adrian had to shoot twice as much, for back up. 
When I first started working at the studio, I didn’t drive, but that was soon sorted. Adrian used to teach me to drive round and round the inside roads of Battersea Park in his treasured Alvis. Nothing like jumping in the deep end!!  

In the time I worked for Adrian, I helped on many campaigns. The most memorable ones were for Silk Cut, John Players Special and the Wool Marketing Board, where he had sheep brought to the studio and photographed on coloured backgrounds. This wasn’t a great success, so Adrian, Steve and I moved down to Dorset and photographed them in a freezing cold barn, but the sheep were happier and we kept warm by drinking large quantities of Whiskey Mac! As it was early spring, the wool was beginning to fall off, so it was my job to sew it back on.

For the Silk Cut adds, we consumed lots of Irish Coffees before Adrian got the perfect swirl, when poured into the cup.

And then there was John Players Special, for one ad, I was asked by the Art Director to stand in for the model. I was photographed in bed and Sigi was in a phone box, smoking a cigarette.  I remember we took the pic of Sigi in the phone box, early in the morning on the Embankment and then the rest of the day working with the model in the studio. I can’t remember the name of the art director, but when the model left, he asked me to model instead. Steve wasn’t that happy that I had no top on, but we went ahead. I remember I was paid £10.00 for half an hour’s work, which I thought was a fortune. Sadly, it was rejected for the ad, as apparently it was too sexy!!

Also, for JPS, we went to a house down the Kings Road and had to sign a secrecy clause, as hidden away in a garage was the new prototype of the new JPS racing car. All very exciting.

In addition to working on adverts, Adrian worked for the Observer magazine. This was such interesting and unusual work, from portraits of people like Len Deighton and Clive James, as well as spending many weeks driving round the country looking for the different religions and their churches. We went to a Mosque in Woking, a Jewish scribe in Hackney and a Bar Mitzvah in North London. Also, we found a Buddhist temple on the top floor of a house in Ecclestone Square.  

I loved working for Adrian, we were like one big family, and the fact that so many of us kept in touch all our lives, just shows what a special man he was.

Text: Tor Hildard

Editor: Francesca Flowers

All images subject to copyright.

Adrian Flowers Archive ©