Adorable Story #116: David Bailey

The Eye That Defined an Era

“It’s all about the moment. If you’re lucky, you get it.”

— David Bailey

September 1968: English photographer David Bailey on the Italian island of Capri — Photo © by Slim Aarons / Getty Images

David Bailey, born in East London, transformed from a working-class boy into one of the most influential photographers of the 20th century. In the 1960s, he joined Vogue and revolutionized fashion photography with his bold, personality-driven style.

His iconic images captured the spirit of the Swinging Sixties and featured cultural giants like Mick Jagger, Andy Warhol, and The Beatles.

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Table of Contents: Early Years / Family Background / Education / Career / Personal Life / Did you know?

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Early Years

David Royston Bailey was born on January 2nd, 1938, in Leytonstone, a district in East London, England. His early life was shaped by the challenges of growing up during the latter years of the Great Depression and the Second World War. Bailey’s childhood was marked by the hardships of wartime Britain, including air raids and rationing, experiences that influenced his later artistic sensibilities.

Bailey was diagnosed with dyslexia¹ and dyspraxia², which made traditional academic pursuits difficult for him. However, these challenges did not stifle his creativity. Instead, they fueled his desire to express himself through non-traditional means.

Later in his life, he would often reflect on his struggles in school, noting that his dyslexia made him feel alienated from his peers, though it eventually became a driving force behind his artistic vision.