On a recent rummage around the design room we unearthed this fabulous book of photography by Bob Richardson. Bob, father of currently popular fashion photographer Terry Richardson, became renowned for his visceral style of photography in the 1960’s and 70’s. No doubt some of Richardson’s popularity can be attributed to the stark contrast between his work and that of other fashion photographers at the time.

About his own work Richardson said, “I wanted to put reality in my photographs. Sex, drugs and rock “n” roll. That’s what was happening. And I was going to help make it happen. Boy they did not want that in America. Some of those editors were still wearing white gloves to couture.”

Bob Richardson’s life was far from charmed. He suffered with severe Schizophrenia, spent time living on the streets of San Francisco and made several suicide attempts. The book quotes, “One morning in the early ‘50s, I woke up in this psycho ward at Bellevue Hospital. My stomach had been pumped of big amounts of barbiturates. I had only a vague memory of swallowing them. This was the first of four suicide attempts. It takes courage to live- and courage to die. I was in Limbo.”

We love the way the photographs seem raw and truthful but still have a touch of glamour, he has allowed the women to hold onto their elegance.