Like many music fans, I knew Duffy's work through the covers he shot for Lodger and Aladdin Sane by David Bowie.
I did not know until Idea Generation Gallery announced their Duffy Exhibit that Duffy was the man behind these classic covers.
I mentioned the London exhibit in Jane Birkin 1965 Pas de Deux and a few days later found out about Duffy (Antique Collector's Club, 2011) the book put together by his son Chris Duffy after his father passed away in 2010.
David Bailey, Terence Donovan and Duffy were dubbed 'The Terrible Trio' by the Sunday Times and 'The Black Trinity' by Norman Parkinson.
They captured the changing moods of the 60's and brought a touch of provocation and fresh blood to British photography.
Path that led to Duffy's 20 intense years in photography was not straighforward.
In 'on getting started' he writes that after having a rough and tumble youth during and after 2nd world war, his creation of a Christmas Card led a teacher to recommend Duffy attends art school.
He went to St Martins School of Art in 1950 to study painting and soon realized that his talent in that field paled in comparison to fellow students Frank Auerbach and Len Deighton.
He moved to fashion department and showed skills at fashion drawing which was his first line of work.
How did this lead to photo shoots. Duffy explains: "I was doing fashion drawings for Harper's Bazaar and I was in the office of the Art Director, a womaon called Gill Varney, and I saw sheets of contact photographs that all looked alike to me, I asked Gill why the photos were all the same, and she explained they were all different. I thought "Gawd this looks dead easy compared to the drawing lark, I'll give this a whiz. Take up photography as an easy way to make money. Just my sort of thing women, gadgets, clothes, I must have a go at it."
Duffy, the book is rich in portraits from Alan Freeman (1964) to Patick Mcnee and Pagan Griggs (1961), prime minister Harold Wilson (1966), William Burroughs (1960, 1974), Arthur C. Clarke in Ceylon (1973), Michael Caine (1964) and I could go on (most in black and white). I chose Reggie Kray and grandfather (1964) to illustrate that category.
Advertising was another facet including his contribution to Pirelli calendar.
I picked his 'Alphasud Car' (Henley on Thames, 1974) for the cars and girls department.
As far as music is concerned, besides record covers, the book includes various stars from Black Sabbath (73) to Shadows (61) and Sandy Shaw (65)
During Duffy's 20 intense years spent snapping pictures (late 50's to late 70's), fashion photography was a big part of his work for magazines like French Elle, Queen, Town, Biba, Vogue.
The classy cover of the book (below) was shot for Queen magazine in 1965.
Not sure if the line 'anarchists make better photographers than they do hairdressers' in the book' is Duffy's or by his son.
There is a mischevious quality to his explanation of the Bowie pics.
"I met this pocket genius called Tony DeFries. David Bowie was a client of his, and Tony asked me if I would like to take some pictures of him. He had a scam going, and realized that in order to get the record company to really pay attention, to get them really going, you had to get them up to their neck in debt, which was of course a masterstroke. Couldn't have come to a better con artist than my good self! He set out to make the most expensive record cover he could possibly get RCA to pay for. If it cost them 50 quid-so what? If it cost them five thousand pounds, now they had to sit up and pay attention."
On a softer note, some of his 60's images like white model with mixed race West Indian cricket team for Town magazine fashion shoot in 1963 and portrait of Sammy Davis Jr hugging May Britt in 1960 must have been ahead of their time.
I will let you discover the rest of Duffy's adventures in photography all by yourself.
(* Quotes from liner notes of 'Duffy' published by ACC Editions in 2011, photos used by permission of the publisher, all rights reserved)