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Gered Mankowitz was born in London, England, on 3rd August 1946. The first of four sons of the late author, playwright and film writer Wolf Mankowitz and his wife, the psychoanalyst Ann Mankowitz.
After an education of sorts at several London co-educational “progressive” schools, he left at 15, avoiding all exams and completed his education devoid of any formal qualifications. Having displayed a natural ‘eye’ for photography whilst on a school trip to Holland, his photographs were seen by the legendary photographer Tom Blau, who offered Gered an apprenticeship at his famous photo agency, Camera Press. Over a period of several months Gered worked in all the various departments that made up Camera Press, finally moving to the studio and going on various assignments in and around London.
During 1963, Gered met and photographed the singing duo Chad and Jeremy, recent signings to Ember records. One of these photos was used as the cover of the duo’s first album, “Yesterday’s Gone”, and Gered found himself working in the music industry at a time when it desperately needed new, mould breaking images. He began to work with a new generation of producers like John Barry, Shel Talmy and Chris Blackwell photographing artists who were his own age group and who felt at ease with him in a way that had not been possible with other photographers.
At the end of 1963 Gered opened his first studio, at 9 Masons Yard in the heart of London’s West End. On one side was the infamous disco “The Scotch of St.James” and on the other the art gallery “Indica”, partly financed by The Beatles and where John Lennon met Yoko Ono.
Within a few months Gered had already begun to make a name for himself, and he was approached to photograph Marianne Faithfull, who had just had a big hit with “As Tears Go By”. Working closely with Marianne he got to know her manager and producer Andrew Loog Oldham. In early 1965, Oldham asked him to photograph the Rolling Stones, who he also managed and produced. This was a major turning point in Gered’s career, because from this first session came the cover for “Out of Our Heads” (U.S. title “December’s Children”), and as a result he was asked by the Stones to go to America with them on their record breaking 1965 tour. During this 9 week (48 city) tour of the U.S. Gered photographed the Stones on stage and off, and got particularly close to Keith and Charlie. There were many adventures as Gered found himself on the road with the greatest Rock band in the world at the peak of their original period of success. Gered continued working with the Stones as their ‘official’ photographer, producing photos for albums (“Between the Buttons”; “Got Live If You Want It”; “Big Hits”; and several others), press and publicity, taken at home, in the recording studio, on stage and behind the scenes until 1967, when the band broke off with their manager, Oldham.
Through the 60’s, Gered continued in the music world working with Oldham at his famous Immediate label, and with many major artists including Jimi Hendrix, Free, Traffic, The Yardbirds, The Small Faces, Soft Machine; and through the 70’s with Slade, Gary Glitter, Suzi Quatro, Sweet, Elton John, Kate Bush, Eurythmics, ABC, Duran Duran and many others.
In 1982 Gered had a major exhibition of his work at London’s famous Photographers’ Gallery. This show was seen by over 16,000 people; a record for the gallery at this time. The Exhibition then toured the U.K. for over 2 years. In 1984 a book based on this show, called “Hit Parade”, was published in the U.K. and U.S.A. Also in 1984 a book of his Rolling Stones photographs, called “Satisfaction”, was published. Both books were very well received, and as a result there began the growing interest in the Gered Mankowitz archive.
Over the last 20 years Gered has been based at his North London studio, a converted Victorian chapel, taking prize-winning photos for the advertising industry. He has also been a regular contributor to several major publications, and still works occasionally in the music business, photographing bands and singers for album covers and magazines. He has contributed regularly to Mojo magazine as well as shooting sessions with 90’s artists such as Oasis, Verve, Catatonia, Kula Shaker and many others. In August 1991 several of Gered’s images sold for record prices at Sotheby’s in London and Limited Edition prints of Gered’s work now sell in London, New York, Washington DC, Los Angeles, Tokyo and now Melbourne through The Raw Gallery.
In March 1995 Genesis Books published a limited edition (1750 copies only) book of Gered’s Rolling Stones photographs entitled ‘Masons Yard To Primrose Hill’ coinciding with a successful US Exhibition. This book sold out within a few months and copies were soon changing hands for £350, over 3 times it’s original price. In early 1999 Genesis published a further book called I-Contact, which contained Gered’s entire black & white Rolling Stones archive of over 3000 images reproduced as 12 x 16 contact sheets.
Beginning in December 1998, a show at Magidson Fine Arts on Madison Avenue, New York City saw Fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger becoming in one purchase Gered’s single biggest collector in the United States. Subsequently Hilfiger has used many of Gered’s prints to decorate his flagship London store in New Bond Street, as well as his personal offices in New York.
In 2003 Gered celebrated 40 years as a working photographer.