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The Peter Warrack Archive

COLLECTING CELEBRITY: The Paparazzo Portraits of Peter Warrack

"Peter's favorites part of photography was the people. He didn't just collect photographs, he somehow collected the people as well." 
- Kevin McElroy 

Peter was born and raised in Liverpool, England. His early years were during the beginning of WWII, and the main form of entertainment in those days (and a release from the German bombings that often hit his part of town) was weekly visits to the movie theatre showing the latest American releases.  This is where Peter's interest in the entertainment field began. Long before the "British Invasion" of the early 1960's, Liverpool and London were areas where stars of the stage, screen, and concert halls migrated. Peter was an avid fan. He attended all the shows and concerts and waited back stage to collect autographs. He began writing to celebrities and corresponded with many over the years as he amassed his autograph collection. In the 1960's, Peter attended Liverpool College of Art where he studied design, an area of study which certainly influenced his ability to uniquely set the layout of photographs he took years later.  While in school he regularly attended the Cavern Club where one would go in early Saturday evening and leave sometime early Sunday morning. While there, groups such as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones either performed or were part of the audience. Peter befriended several of the performers from Liverpool who later became famous during the "Invasion.” 

In his early 20's, Peter lived in London, Rome, and Athens working for entertainment magazines and writing articles about events that he attended, like the Cannes Film Festival. It was during this period of time that his interest in photography began to develop. Over the years, Peter began to amass a very extensive collection of photographs of people he met. He attended many events and met many famed individuals of the time. He always took the time to research people before meeting them and was able to talk with them about their careers, their travels and even their families. This impressed them and they felt comfortable in his company; many became personal friends over the years. Their comfort level always translated into the way he captured the personality of those individuals, as he would engage them in easy, friendly conversation while taking candid photos.


Lauren Bacall often rolled her eyes and laughed when she entered a rehearsal room or a performance site and saw Peter..."God, I should have known you'd be here!"  

Pavarotti loved the photos Peter took of him during the filming of "Yes, Giorgio" here in Boston, and after seeing the photos, arranged to have one of them used for the cover of his upcoming 1985 album, "Passione.”

Photographer Yousuf Karsh became quite friendly with Peter; they spent time going over his portfolio and compared styles for making a subject comfortable in order to capture their essence in a photograph. 

Katherine Hepburn, who notoriously avoided photographers, so enjoyed Peter's style that she would play with him as he tried to photograph her (with her permission, of course). She would put on a big smile, laugh, and then hide behind something and giggle, "Now you can't get me!"

During a rehearsal photo session in Radio City Music Hall, Peter watched Elizabeth Taylor cautiously approach Bette Davis - who was very stand-offish at this point in her career - and say, "Hello, Bette...it's Elizabeth.” Bette promptly snarled, "Elizabeth who…,” and looked away.  

Audrey Hepburn, who was the goodwill ambassador to UNICEF, often chatted with Peter about the movies, theater, and their English background and was always amazed at his knowledge of the field. During their last encounter in New york, when she had been very ill for some time, she approached him and sadly said, “I just wanted to say goodbye…"

Some of Peter's most iconic and important work received high praise from press the likes of Rolling Stone, NPR and The Boston Globe earlier this year for the House of Roulx released "Her Final Performance," a premium bespoke box set boasting original artwork and previously unpublished photographs of Janis Joplin's final live music concert on August 12, 1970 at Harvard Stadium in Cambridge, MA.

 

About Our Collection:

Now, announcing innumerable candid celebrity images spanning the 1960s through the 1990s, Peter Warrack's previously unpublished collection is unveiled. These vintage photographs are direct from his estate, printed by Peter from the original negative, making up his reference archive and personal collection. Each image is previously unpublished.

Explore Our Collection:
Maria Callas (Peter Warrack)
Maria Callas (Peter Warrack)
Vintage 8x10 Photograph
$95.00
Maria Callas (Peter Warrack)
Previously unpublished, original vintage photograph from the Peter Warrack Archive
Liza Minnelli (Peter Warrack)
Liza Minnelli (Peter Warrack)
Vintage Camera Negative
$95.00
Liza Minnelli (Peter Warrack)
Original vintage 35mm camera negative from the Peter Warrack Archive
Natalia Makarova, Jessica Tandy (Peter Warrack)
Natalia Makarova, Jessica Tandy (Peter Warrack)
Vintage 11x14 Photograph
$95.00
Natalia Makarova, Jessica Tandy (Peter Warrack)
Previously unpublished, original vintage candid photograph from the Peter Warrack Archive
Jack Nicholson (Peter Warrack)
Jack Nicholson (Peter Warrack)
Vintage 11x14 Photograph
$75.00
Jack Nicholson (Peter Warrack)
Previously unpublished, original vintage photograph from the Peter Warrack Archive
Warren Beatty and Michelle Phillips (Peter Warrack)
Warren Beatty and Michelle Phillips (Peter Warrack)
Vintage 8x10 Photograph
$75.00
Warren Beatty and Michelle Phillips (Peter Warrack)
Previously unpublished, original vintage photograph from the Peter Warrack Archive
Warren Beatty and Michelle Phillips (Peter Warrack)
Warren Beatty and Michelle Phillips (Peter Warrack)
Vintage 8x10 Photograph
$75.00
Warren Beatty and Michelle Phillips (Peter Warrack)
Previously unpublished, original vintage photograph from the Peter Warrack Archive
Grace Kelly (Peter Warrack)
Grace Kelly (Peter Warrack)
Vintage 8x10 Photograph
$75.00
Grace Kelly (Peter Warrack)
Previously unpublished, original vintage photograph from the Peter Warrack Archive
Robert De Niro (Peter Warrack)
Robert De Niro (Peter Warrack)
Vintage 11x14 Photograph
$75.00
Robert De Niro (Peter Warrack)
Previously unpublished, original vintage photograph from the Peter Warrack Archive
Madonna (Peter Warrack)
Madonna (Peter Warrack)
Vintage Photograph
$75.00
Madonna (Peter Warrack)
Previously unpublished, original vintage photograph from the Peter Warrack Archive
JG Autographs