Icon Photographer Gered Mankowitz

After dropping out of school at age 15, it did not take Gered Mankowitz long to pursue a career as a professional photographer. Gered had a natural talent, and his images caught the eye of legendary portraitist Tom Blau, who offered the teenager an apprenticeship at his company, Camera Press—the largest independent photo agency in the UK.

Within a few months at Camera Press, Gered was already shooting in the studio and on assignment. In the early 1960s, he opened his own studio and established connections in the music industry—providing him the opportunity to document artists that later became legends. The images from this era were just the start of Gered’s five decades of iconic music photography.

Gered’s images are featured on countless album covers and in galleries across the globe. He has published numerous monographs of his work with Jimi Hendrix and the Rolling Stones, as well as a career-encompassing retrospective: 50 Years of Rock and Roll. Gered continues to work in the music business and is still a regular contributor to several major publications.