Harry Diamond

• Name — Harry Diamond • Born — 25 August 1924 • Birthplace — London, England • Died — 3 December 2009 • Place of death — London, England • Occupation — Photographer

Before becoming a photographer in the 1960s, Harry Diamond worked as a stagehand. He often drank in Soho and photographed many of the artists several times, including Frank Auerbach, Francis Bacon, and Lucian Freud, Stephen Finer, John Wonnacott and others, as well as the photographer John Deakin. Other artists whom he photographed included Michael Andrews, William Coldstream, Peter Saunders, Edward Middleditch, Eduardo Paolozzi, Peter Blake, and the duo Gilbert and George. Diamond also took a portrait of the poet Eddie Linden in 1975. From his interest in jazz, Diamond also photographed jazz musicians. An early exhibition was called "West End Blues" after Louis Armstrong's recording. Diamond photographed the Duke Ellington Orchestra, photographing Paul Jeffrey and Paul Gonsalves together and Ellington himself on stage. A photograph of Ellington was chosen by Bruce Bernard for the collection he made of 100 photographs from 1840 to 1990 that were exhibited at the V & A and published in the Phaidon Press book of the same name. Diamond photographed people in London streets, and as buildings disappeared, photographed the East End of London where he lived.

Diamond's photographs have been shown in the Hayward Gallery, Photographer's Gallery, Battersea Arts Centre, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Michael Parkin Fine Art, Cafe Gallery Southwark (now Southwark Park Galleries), National Portrait Gallery, Sudley House, The Space, Victoria and Albert Museum, Whitechapel Art Gallery and elsewhere.

Harry Diamond was painted four times by Lucian Freud, first in Interior at Paddington in 1951 and three times subsequently. A photograph by Herb Greer of Diamond with Frank Norman appears on the cover of Norman's book Stand on Me published in 1959.

Diamond died aged 85 in Whipps Cross Hospital on 3 December 2009.