It’s already looking like a funny old site this one…already I’m seeing that the most domineering subject amongst our photographers, as you too may be noticing….is portraiture.
In our good friend Mayotte Magnus we have an absolute superstar…
A lady whose catalogue of sitters is nothing less than historic and awe inspiring, whose work carries such an individualistic and thoughtful approach to her subjects, it puts her way way “out there” in terms of mindfulness and pure creativity.
Mayotte Magnus could well be the most famous photographer you’ve never heard of, perhaps, you will have heard of her late husband, another great photographer, Jorge Lewinsky whom, uncannily, my father was a great fan of.
There’s so much out there about her, online and in museums and galleries, there really is very little point in me writing another biography is there?
Google her and you’ll see what I mean. So instead I’m going to write about my good mate and great photographer. I am however duty bound to share links later to her own website and that of National Portrait Gallery as promised to our mutual friend Clare who has been enthusiastically very generous to pen a paragraph or two for us about this great lady.
Her professional background as a young lady was really in music and dance, a love of painting and the arts running in her family, further adding to the creative soul but it was almost by chance that Mayotte discovered photography.
Within the confines of a former marriage, the occasion of taking her daughter to the London based Australian photographer Bruce Pinkart who, upon seeing her sudden interest and curiosity invited her to see the family portrait being printed in his darkroom.
She was hooked from then on….We see that happen a lot in darkrooms even now!
So armed with camera and film loaned by the highly respected Bruce, she was sent out to take some photos, he telling her: “If you’re any good then we’ll take it from there…”
That was in 1971. In 1972 Mayotte took first and second prizes in the Ilford International competition.
Working and gathering more of a following, despite a divorce and taking care of her lovely daughter Elodie, Mayotte began to acquire commissions and in 1977 came a wonderful opportunity at the behest of the National Portrait Gallery to photograph one hundred eminent British women.
People of her own choice…lovely eh! Working with Pentax 6×7 (three of them!) she set about this opportune task….The ensuing exhibition saw over thirty thousand visitors….and thus it goes. A lovely career that produced some outstanding and emotive works of some outstanding and often emotive people…at which point allow me to show you a few amazing examples:
J.B. Priestly 
Elizabeth Frink 
Roger Hilton 
David Hockney 
Barbara Hepworth 
Francis Bacon
The above photographs are my pictures of the contemporary prints from her library….the subjects included are encompassed amongst the most legendary names of British Art and Literature from the 20th century.
Here seems like an opportune moment to direct your curiosity to a couple of websites where you can view more about this lovely lady and her life’s works…
So…how did a little feller like me come to know this important photographer?
Well it’s down to the shop really….it was our late dear friend Terry Smith that wandered in…as he did….one morning, sat with a cuppa and said:
“Did you know that there’s a famous photographer lives just up the road?” – – – “Do you want to meet her?”
No and yes!!
So that was the introduction, since then Mayotte wanders into the shop…yes see, being 86 going on 46 she’s out and about a lot (in normal times), fit as a flea, bright as a button and a bundle of energy, mental and otherwise!
Put it this way…in lockdown she took it upon herself to learn Turkish, Italian and Chinese, no sitting around moping, too many things to do!
Tells me off a lot…I guess I deserve that, it’s all light hearted and we have fun, my tea intake frowned upon, Mayotte is a healthy eater, vegetarian, and honestly, it really is so unusual for someone so French to shun my lovely coffee!
She hates it when I mention Ida Kar, I get told off again! However….that has settled since we discovered that Jorge knew Ida and took her portrait, and since looking through Clare’s lovely book about Ida, then seeing the share of famous sitters and super workwomanship….there is of course no comparison between the two….my personal take is that both are something special and unique…..each endowed with such a fantastic thought process that their work was commanded from a place few photographers get to go to.
Incredible….
In 2019 she was incredibly generous to us all, returning here from France, especially to come to the shop every day for that year’s Open Quarter…a local arts festival where she sat near all day every day with customers and visitors, showing them proper hand prints of photographs she had brought with her and chatting with people like old mates…all leaving here completely smitten and inspired by this great lady.
She took a lot from that too I think, worn out somewhat a the end of each day but smiling from ear to ear. usually asked to lecture to great crowds in large forums, finding the one to one experience incredibly refreshing…a more direct appreciation, in both directions; what she did find totally wonderful was the passion for film photography that adorns and surrounds and ripples out and in from this modest little business of ours.
Time for me to sshh and pass you over for our guest authors to do their bit, a visit to Mayotte last August to introduce Allessandra with the mission to write something fresh and first impressions about what it’s like to share time with Mayotte…I asked if she’d do for us bit of a Q&A….
Mayotte Magnus at home in Folkestone… 
Mayotte with Allie….
Allie: Will be writing her experience and a few q&a which we’ll add in later
Back to me to introduce Clare Freestone, National Portrait Gallery
Mayotte is one of those people that you feel honoured to know. Or know a little.
She is warm and wise. Her portraits give evidence to this. Mayotte is interested and certainly interesting.
In 2018 I was lucky enough to visit her home in France where there was evidence through her belongings (as though in one of her composed and thoughtful portraits) of a deep understanding of history, the pleasures of travel and an interest in comradeship and a love of other people.
What better traits in a portraitist….
In 1977, the National Portrait Gallery staged a landmark exhibition, featuring nearly ninety portraits of eminent British women photographed by Mayotte Magnus.
It was the first photographic exhibition in the Gallery’s history to focus exclusively on female achievement which can be viewed with the button below…
The display at the NPG in 2018 Illuminating Women: Photographs by Mayotte Magnus, revisited a selection of key portraits from Magnus’s 1977 exhibition, alongside more recent acquisitions. The portraits were taken in the sitter’s homes or place of work, and are rich in narrative and composition. ,
Celebrating a range of creative women, including artists Liliane Lijn and Glenys Barton, authors Marina Warner and Margaret Drabble, actresses Glenda Jackson and Judi Dench and Nobel Prize recipient Nadine Gordimer..
The biographical film Mayotte Magnus Photographer – A Snapshot of an Artist was made in the summer of 2018 by my friend Bob Scholes who sadly passed away last year. Somehow I knew that Bob, who had worked for much of his life as an editor for the BBC, and Mayotte would hit it off. They shared an understanding of the value of life and the rewards of creativity.
Clare Freestone.
Well that’s about it really. I hope that you’ve seen what a special girl Mayotte truly is….a lovely friend, big hearted, big fun, super photographer and a proud friend to have. Loved by all that get to meet her and that we hope will happen again soon.
If you like her work and think that you might perhaps like to follow in her footsteps then we do keep used copies of The Book of Portraits by Mayotte and Jorge here in the shop or the following button to order online….
So it only leaves me to say a big thank you to my guest authors and to you for visiting my website and indulging my ramblings….photography IS in my blood and of those that we feature.
So to finalise this page about Mayotte we have permission, big thanks to the NPG, Clare and the maker Clara for allowing us to share the following informative video about her with you….
I like your style of writing and you have good content Richard. Lovely to learn about such an impressive photographer.