Michael Joseph (1941-) - Belisha beacon, Portobello, London
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Selected by Elena Vaninetti
Has over ten years of experience in art, specialising in post-war photography and contemporary art.
Estimate € 450 - € 550
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Michael Joseph, Belisha beacon, Portobello, London, 1967, an original vintage gelatin-silver print, hand signed, 35 × 25 cm, in the photojournalism genre.
AI-assisted summary
Description from the seller
Michael Joseph - Portobello Belisha Beacon, London, 1960s
Original vintage black-and-white photograph • Signed and inscribed by the photographer
A striking and wonderfully graphic early London photograph by Michael Joseph, capturing one of the most ordinary objects of the British streetscape and turning it into something unexpectedly beautiful.
Photographed around Portobello in the 1960s, the familiar Belisha beacon becomes the commanding protagonist. Joseph isolates its unmistakable circular form against a softly dissolving London street, with cars, pedestrians and shopfronts reduced almost to abstraction behind it.
What makes the photograph so successful is its apparent simplicity. This is an image that depends entirely upon seeing the composition before pressing the shutter. Joseph had to find precisely the viewpoint at which the beacon, its pole, the approaching car and the receding pavement fell into balance - while using a deliberately shallow depth of field to transform the busy street behind into atmosphere.
There is no elaborate advertising set here, no enormous cast and none of the orchestrated chaos that would later characterise so much of Michael Joseph’s celebrated commercial work. Instead, we see the photographer simply walking through London and noticing something that everybody else walked past.
The result feels extraordinarily modern: bold geometry, strong blacks and whites, an almost abstract division of the frame and that glowing orb suspended above the street. It is both unmistakably 1960s London and curiously timeless.
As an original vintage print from Joseph’s earlier period, it also provides a fascinating glimpse of the visual instincts that would underpin his later career - the ability to take the commonplace, alter our viewpoint, and make us look twice.
Hand-inscribed on the mount by Michael Joseph:
“Portobello Belisha Beacon” - London 1960s
and boldly signed by the photographer.
A wonderfully evocative piece of London photographic history - Portobello before it became an icon, photographed by a young Michael Joseph before he did too.
#MichaelJoseph #Portobello #BelishaBeacon #1960sLondon #LondonPhotography #VintagePhotography #BritishPhotography #StreetPhotography #BlackAndWhitePhotography #AnalogPhotography #VintagePrint #SignedPhotograph #OriginalPhotography #PhotographyCollector #LondonHistory
Seller's Story
My father, Michael Joseph, was a London-based advertising photographer from the 1960s to the early 1990s, perhaps best known for his iconic photographs for the Rolling Stones’ Beggars Banquet album.
Such was Michael’s extraordinary talent for orchestrating elaborate group scenes, often bringing together large numbers of people and animals in seemingly effortless harmony, that these wonderfully theatrical compositions became known within the advertising industry simply as “a Michael Joseph” - a style so distinctive that his name became a description in its own right.
Our continuing mission is to share what we affectionately call “the other photographs”: lesser-known treasures from his remarkable archive, including original vintage darkroom prints, experimental test prints, alternative images from major shoots, celebrated group compositions and more intimate, personal photographs.
Among our most exciting discoveries is Michael’s extraordinary 1964 Vietnam archive, photographed when he was just 23. Many of these powerful images have never previously been exhibited or offered for sale, revealing a fascinating, lesser-known side of his career.
There is also a wonderfully poetic quality to much of his work: unexpected encounters, fleeting moments and what we like to call “immortalised instants” - those unrepeatable fragments of everyday life that might otherwise have gone unnoticed.
All beautifully summed up in Michael’s favourite adage:
“Always keep a camera handy, every minute of your living day.”
A philosophy he certainly lived by, leaving us an extraordinary collection that we are still discovering today.
Alongside Michael’s authentic vintage prints, we are introducing new interpretations of his work: striking photographic prints on aluminium and handmade cyanotypes, created from his original negatives and transparencies using the Dordogne sunshine. Some are produced on vintage papers from Michael’s own photographic library, giving these historic materials a wonderful new lease of life.
Together, these works celebrate photographic history and contemporary creativity - from unique prints made by Michael himself to imaginative new interpretations of his archive.
We hope you enjoy discovering these photographs as much as we enjoy bringing them to light!
A Small Note About the Presentation Photographs
Some of our in situ illustrations showing artworks displayed in interiors have been created using artificial intelligence (AI).
These are intended simply to help you imagine how a piece might look in a home, office or gallery. Although we aim for faithful representations, proportions and scale may occasionally vary.
Please refer to the actual artwork photographs and stated dimensions for an accurate representation of your purchase.
A Personal Note About Packaging
We prepare and pack every artwork ourselves, taking great care to protect each piece with several layers of suitable materials.
To keep costs down and minimise waste, we reuse and upcycle packaging wherever possible. Your parcel may therefore contain recycled cardboard, protective sleeves, old photographic boxes or envelopes - occasionally even materials from Michael’s own photographic library!
And please don't be surprised if the outside looks rather plain, or even a little unattractive. This is often deliberate! We prefer valuable or irreplaceable artworks to travel as inconspicuously as possible.
One small favour: please unwrap your parcel slowly and carefully.
We sometimes use several layers of cardboard, paper and protective wrapping, secured with tape. Please take particular care when using scissors or a blade, as tape can occasionally catch on adjoining layers or items inside.
We would rather spend a little extra time protecting your purchase than risk damage in transit, and hope you will forgive our occasionally unconventional packaging!
After all, it's what's inside that matters, not the wrapping!
Every purchase helps us preserve, explore and share Michael’s remarkable photographic archive, while giving these images a new home and another chapter in their history.
For US Buyers
Customs duties and applicable import charges are paid at source and included in the shipping cost. No additional charges should normally be payable upon delivery, subject to changes in customs regulations.
Michael Joseph - Portobello Belisha Beacon, London, 1960s
Original vintage black-and-white photograph • Signed and inscribed by the photographer
A striking and wonderfully graphic early London photograph by Michael Joseph, capturing one of the most ordinary objects of the British streetscape and turning it into something unexpectedly beautiful.
Photographed around Portobello in the 1960s, the familiar Belisha beacon becomes the commanding protagonist. Joseph isolates its unmistakable circular form against a softly dissolving London street, with cars, pedestrians and shopfronts reduced almost to abstraction behind it.
What makes the photograph so successful is its apparent simplicity. This is an image that depends entirely upon seeing the composition before pressing the shutter. Joseph had to find precisely the viewpoint at which the beacon, its pole, the approaching car and the receding pavement fell into balance - while using a deliberately shallow depth of field to transform the busy street behind into atmosphere.
There is no elaborate advertising set here, no enormous cast and none of the orchestrated chaos that would later characterise so much of Michael Joseph’s celebrated commercial work. Instead, we see the photographer simply walking through London and noticing something that everybody else walked past.
The result feels extraordinarily modern: bold geometry, strong blacks and whites, an almost abstract division of the frame and that glowing orb suspended above the street. It is both unmistakably 1960s London and curiously timeless.
As an original vintage print from Joseph’s earlier period, it also provides a fascinating glimpse of the visual instincts that would underpin his later career - the ability to take the commonplace, alter our viewpoint, and make us look twice.
Hand-inscribed on the mount by Michael Joseph:
“Portobello Belisha Beacon” - London 1960s
and boldly signed by the photographer.
A wonderfully evocative piece of London photographic history - Portobello before it became an icon, photographed by a young Michael Joseph before he did too.
#MichaelJoseph #Portobello #BelishaBeacon #1960sLondon #LondonPhotography #VintagePhotography #BritishPhotography #StreetPhotography #BlackAndWhitePhotography #AnalogPhotography #VintagePrint #SignedPhotograph #OriginalPhotography #PhotographyCollector #LondonHistory
Seller's Story
My father, Michael Joseph, was a London-based advertising photographer from the 1960s to the early 1990s, perhaps best known for his iconic photographs for the Rolling Stones’ Beggars Banquet album.
Such was Michael’s extraordinary talent for orchestrating elaborate group scenes, often bringing together large numbers of people and animals in seemingly effortless harmony, that these wonderfully theatrical compositions became known within the advertising industry simply as “a Michael Joseph” - a style so distinctive that his name became a description in its own right.
Our continuing mission is to share what we affectionately call “the other photographs”: lesser-known treasures from his remarkable archive, including original vintage darkroom prints, experimental test prints, alternative images from major shoots, celebrated group compositions and more intimate, personal photographs.
Among our most exciting discoveries is Michael’s extraordinary 1964 Vietnam archive, photographed when he was just 23. Many of these powerful images have never previously been exhibited or offered for sale, revealing a fascinating, lesser-known side of his career.
There is also a wonderfully poetic quality to much of his work: unexpected encounters, fleeting moments and what we like to call “immortalised instants” - those unrepeatable fragments of everyday life that might otherwise have gone unnoticed.
All beautifully summed up in Michael’s favourite adage:
“Always keep a camera handy, every minute of your living day.”
A philosophy he certainly lived by, leaving us an extraordinary collection that we are still discovering today.
Alongside Michael’s authentic vintage prints, we are introducing new interpretations of his work: striking photographic prints on aluminium and handmade cyanotypes, created from his original negatives and transparencies using the Dordogne sunshine. Some are produced on vintage papers from Michael’s own photographic library, giving these historic materials a wonderful new lease of life.
Together, these works celebrate photographic history and contemporary creativity - from unique prints made by Michael himself to imaginative new interpretations of his archive.
We hope you enjoy discovering these photographs as much as we enjoy bringing them to light!
A Small Note About the Presentation Photographs
Some of our in situ illustrations showing artworks displayed in interiors have been created using artificial intelligence (AI).
These are intended simply to help you imagine how a piece might look in a home, office or gallery. Although we aim for faithful representations, proportions and scale may occasionally vary.
Please refer to the actual artwork photographs and stated dimensions for an accurate representation of your purchase.
A Personal Note About Packaging
We prepare and pack every artwork ourselves, taking great care to protect each piece with several layers of suitable materials.
To keep costs down and minimise waste, we reuse and upcycle packaging wherever possible. Your parcel may therefore contain recycled cardboard, protective sleeves, old photographic boxes or envelopes - occasionally even materials from Michael’s own photographic library!
And please don't be surprised if the outside looks rather plain, or even a little unattractive. This is often deliberate! We prefer valuable or irreplaceable artworks to travel as inconspicuously as possible.
One small favour: please unwrap your parcel slowly and carefully.
We sometimes use several layers of cardboard, paper and protective wrapping, secured with tape. Please take particular care when using scissors or a blade, as tape can occasionally catch on adjoining layers or items inside.
We would rather spend a little extra time protecting your purchase than risk damage in transit, and hope you will forgive our occasionally unconventional packaging!
After all, it's what's inside that matters, not the wrapping!
Every purchase helps us preserve, explore and share Michael’s remarkable photographic archive, while giving these images a new home and another chapter in their history.
For US Buyers
Customs duties and applicable import charges are paid at source and included in the shipping cost. No additional charges should normally be payable upon delivery, subject to changes in customs regulations.
Details
Date of print
1967
Artist
Michael Joseph (1941-)
Sold by
Owner or reseller
Title of artwork
Belisha beacon, Portobello, London
Condition
Original State
Technique
Gelatin-silver print
Height
35 cm
Edition
Authentic unique vintage darkroom print
Width
25 cm
Signature
Hand signed
Genre
Photojournalism
Sold by
