John Cowan

John Anthony Cowan (22 April 1929 – 26 September 1979) was a British fashion photographer known for his dynamic photographic style when picturing the fashion icons of 1960s London.

Early life John Anthony Cowan was born on 22 April 1929 at Gillingham, Kent, the only child of Irving Cowan and his wife, Elizabeth Edith Cowan (née Cobley).

Career Flying High, 1966, exemplifies Cowan's energetic photographic style. Cowan was known for his dynamic photographic style which reflected the energetic atmosphere of 1960s Swinging London. The Victoria and Albert Museum say, "John Cowan ... epitomised the playful, graphically dynamic style of commercial photography practised in London during the period. His partnership with model and photographer Jill Kennington sparked an exciting period of high-octane image-making for numerous magazines." Among the magazines and newspapers Cowan worked for were Vogue, Queen, Harper's Bazaar, Elle, The Observer, the Sunday Times, the Daily Express and the Sunday Express, the Daily Mail, and the Daily Mirror. Kennington recalled the physical nature of her shoots with Cowan, saying "he clambered anywhere, including onto his Land Rover roof, to achieve a great angle. Luckily, I was born a mountain goat, and many photographic adventures involved jumping or hanging off buildings." According to the Daily Telegraph, the Hemmings–and-Veruschka scene "came to symbolise the film".

Personal life Cowan was married twice. His first wife was a nurse, Joyce Gordon (b. 1929). They married in June 1950 at Bearstead, Kent, and their daughter Nicola was born on 13 July 1954. They divorced in 1954. ‘Mary Quant’ an exhibition at The V & A Museum in London (2019, 2020). ‘John Cowan’ photographs are part of an ongoing collection at the National Portrait Gallery in London.