Nr. 99841032

Michael Joseph (1941-) - Kids on car, Ford Anglia 105E advertisement from the sixties
Nr. 99841032

Michael Joseph (1941-) - Kids on car, Ford Anglia 105E advertisement from the sixties
“Kids on the Car” — Original Vintage Darkroom Print by Michael Joseph
Photo taken in the 1960s
Silver gelatin print, darkroom produced
Mounted – 50 cm wide x 40 cm high
Unframed
One-off vintage print
A master of visual storytelling, Michael Joseph had the rare ability to turn an unguarded, everyday moment into something electric. Whether photographing rock stars, street scenes, or anonymous flashes of childhood, he found humour, rhythm, and quiet rebellion exactly where others might pass by.
This vintage darkroom print is a perfect example. A cluster of children spill exuberantly across the bodywork of a classic British car — legs dangling, arms leaning, faces half-hidden in shadow and reflection. On the surface, it is playful and spontaneous. Look longer, and the composition reveals itself: the bold geometry of chrome and glass, the choreography of bodies in motion, the delicious tension between polished machine and unruly youth. It feels less like a snapshot and more like a perfectly cast cinematic still — a fleeting moment that somehow holds an entire era.
The car itself is a Ford Anglia 105E, one of the most iconic British vehicles of the post-war period, produced between 1959 and 1967. Instantly recognisable by its oval headlamps, wide rectangular grille and distinctive reverse-sloping rear window, the Anglia became a symbol of newfound mobility, optimism, and youthful independence in 1960s Britain. Hugely popular with young families and first-time drivers, it later achieved pop-culture immortality as the famous “flying car” in the Harry Potter films. Its presence here anchors the photograph firmly in the early-to-mid 1960s, a dating that perfectly aligns with the clothing, hairstyles, and social atmosphere captured in the scene.
Here, the car is more than a prop. It becomes a stage — a magnet for curiosity and social performance — its reflective surfaces turning childhood energy into visual theatre. The children do not merely sit upon it; they animate it, transforming metal into narrative.
Best known for his anarchic and unforgettable 1968 Rolling Stones Beggars Banquet session, Joseph’s wider career was built on exactly this gift — transforming the ordinary into the unforgettable. His group scenes became legendary in editorial and advertising circles, so distinctive they were often described simply as “a Michael Joseph.”
This is a signed, hand-captioned, one-off silver gelatin darkroom print from the original period, produced close to the time of exposure and preserved ever since within a private family archive. It is not a later reproduction. Works of this vitality, documentary power, and cultural resonance are increasingly rare to encounter on the open market.
Dispatched with the utmost care and devotion — because photographs like this don’t just show time past; they carry it with them.
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