Famous Faces Caught in One Quick Passport Snap: No Smiles, Just Style!

For nearly sixty years, Dave Sharkey's small photo studio on Oxford Street in London was a hidden gem for anyone who needed a passport photo. The studio was located right across from Selfridges, making it easy for people to find. Over the years, it became one of the most important places in London for taking passport photos, especially for celebrities. Famous people like Muhammad Ali, Madonna, Sean Connery, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Marvin Gaye all came to the studio. Even though they were stars, they had to follow the same rules as everyone else. There was only one shot, the photo was taken quickly, and sometimes they still had their coats on because they were in such a hurry. The studio was close to many embassies, so people often came in just before their deadline to get their passport photos done.

Dave Sharkey was born in the East End of London and left school at fourteen to become a professional boxer. After he stopped boxing, he started taking photos of tourists in Trafalgar Square because not many people owned cameras at that time. When he was no longer allowed to work there, he overheard an American say he needed a passport photo quickly. Dave realized he could do it in just ten minutes using special chemicals, so he opened his own studio. His family, including his wife Ann and son Philip, helped him run the business. Philip remembers helping out during school holidays and even delivering a passport photo to Paul Getty, who was the richest man in the world. Philip thought that someone so rich would be happy, but Mr. Getty looked very serious in his photo.

The studio became famous for its speed and quality. Many celebrities had their photos taken there, but not all were recognized at the time. Kate Winslet came in for a passport photo for her character in the movie Hideous Kinky, and her stylist made sure she looked like a 1960s hippie. James Coburn paid extra for two versions of his photo, one smiling and one not. Ava Gardner once sat quietly while a customer argued that the celebrity photos on the wall couldn't be real. Sean Connery came in without his hairpiece, and Eric Clapton asked Dave to photograph his entire team before a tour in Japan. Some celebrities, like Marvin Gaye, had interesting stories. A woman once said she brought Marvin Gaye in for a photo because he had lost everything, including his passport, and he sang for the embassy staff to prove who he was. The studio kept photos of celebrities, but not everyone, because there wasn't enough space. Now, more than 300 celebrity portraits from the studio are being displayed for the first time, showing a unique part of London's history and the many famous faces who passed through its doors.