Stories

Bob Aylott started in Fleet Street as a 15-year-old tea boy in 1964. Three years later he was hired as a photographer at the famous Keystone Press Agency and in 1968 was named British News Photographer of the Year. He was another Keystone man who admired Ron Burton and his work.

I didn't join Keystone until 1967 long after Ron had moved on but he was a real inspiration for me and made me want to become a photographer. Our paths didn't cross that often because he was engaged more in the big jobs while I was out doing the bread and butter, but I did occasionally bump into him and he was always charming, immaculately dressed and a brilliant photographer.

Working for an agency you were really thrown in at the deep end and had to master every subject matter. 

I particularly remember one of Ron's photographs of a pilot crashing on an aircraft carrier and then there was his iconic pictures of the Red Arrows. This was a time when wide angle and fish eye lenses were just being introduced and it made photographers more adventurous and the Red Arrows sequence were a classic example of something never seen before. It was quite revolutionary.

I'm certain a display of Ron's work will be inspirational for all aspiring young photographers and make them want to be involved in the big events.