Horace Roye
Horace Roye (born Horace Roye-Narbeth, 4 March 1906 – 11 June 2002) was a British photographer. Roye's photograph Tomorrow's Crucifixion, depicting a nude model wearing a gas mask while pinned to a crucifix caused controversy when published in the North London Recorder in August 1938, but is now a noted photograph of its time. In 1954 with a fellow photographer called Vala, Roye came up with the Roye-Vala 3-D Process. Not to miss an opportunity his company The Camera Studies Club published the Stereo Glamour Series of 3-D books of nude studies and pin-ups.[1] As a photographer of nudes, he successfully contested the obscenity laws of his day. An account of which he published in 1960 in the booklet Unique Verdict – the Story of an Unsuccessful Prosecution.[2]
![](../I/m/Tomorrow's_crucifixion.jpg)
Roye retired to Portugal. During the 1974 revolution, he was besieged in his house, holding out with a shotgun. Forced to sell up he returned to England.[3] In 1980, he made his final move to Rabat, the capital of Morocco. He became Morocco's oldest British expatriate, and he was also the longest-serving member of the British Institute of Professional Photographers. He took up parasailing at the age of 75 and water-skied on the river Bouregeg until he was 78 years old.[4]
Roye was married three times. His first marriage was to actress Joan Dare. He later married Renee Bernadeau who had been a French dancer. His final marriage was to Marilyn, a Canadian model who died in 1993.[5]
In 2002 at the age of 96, Roye was stabbed to death by an intruder at his home in the kasbah of Rabat, Morocco.
Publications
- Phyllis in Censorland. The Camera Studies Club, 1942 and later edition 1956.
- Perfect Womanhood. George Routledge & Sons, London, 1941.
- The English Maid. George Routledge & Sons, London, 1939.
- The Scottish Maid. George Routledge & Sons, London, 1940.
- The Irish Maid. George Routledge & Sons, London, 1941.
- Desirée. Chapman & Hall, London, 1942. Later, smaller sized paper backed edition, The Camera Studies Club, London.
- The Welsh Maid. George Routledge & Sons, London, 1942.
- Phyllis Dixey Album The Spotlight on Beauty Series no.3. The Camera Studies Club, Elstree. Relates to Phyllis Dixey.
- Rhapsody in Colour. The Camera Studies Club, London, 1943.
- Maids. Elstree Publications, Elstree, 1947.
- Canadian Beauty. The Camera Studies Club, 1952.
- Glamour on Parade No.1, Posed by George Black's Lovelies. The Camera Studies Club, Elstree.
- Nude Ego. Hutchinson, London, 1955.
- Unique Editions, Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 4. Art Publications, London.
- Unique Verdict - the Story of an Unsuccessful Prosecution. Art Publications, 1960.
- Unique Verdict – Art Supplement. Art Publications, London.
- Curves and Colour. The Camera Studies Club, London, 1943. With Walter Bird and John Everard.
- More Eves Without Leaves (with Walter Bird and John Everard). The Camera Studies Club, Elstree, 1941.
- Eves Without Leaves (with Walter Bird and John Everard). C. Arthur Pearson, London, 1940.
- Eternal Eve (with Walter Bird and John Everard). Elstree Publications, London, 1947.
- Arthur Ferrier's Lovelies. Photographs by Roye. Published by Chapman and Hall, London, 1941. Later, smaller sized paperback editions by the Camera Studies Club, London.
References
- "The Roye-Vala 3-D Proces". Pamela Green — Never Knowingly Overdressed.
- "Horace Roye — A Short Biography | Pamela Green". Retrieved 2019-06-17.
- "Horace Roye — A Short Biography | Pamela Green". Retrieved 2019-06-17.
- https://www.theguardian.com/news/2002/jun/21/guardianobituaries.arts
- https://www.theguardian.com/news/2002/jun/21/guardianobituaries.arts
Sources
- "Horace Roye — Obituaries, News", The Independent, London, July 22, 2002, retrieved 2010-05-04
- Horwell, Veronica (June 21, 2002), "Obituary: Horace Roye", The Guardian, London, retrieved 2010-05-04