1939
Born in England, Australian father, English mother.
1954
Finished private education
1957
Diploma in commerce, Chiswick Polytechnic.
1958
Camera Salesman (Professional Equipment) Pelling & Cross, Baker Street. Attended Hammersmith School of Building Arts & Crafts.
1960
Worked at Ilford Ltd, Essex learning how to make film, study making X-ray material.
1961
Travelled to Australia via SS Stratheden for Illford to work at Illford on Cibachrome project.Worked for Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABV2), film editing and sound track, laying news and current affairs.
1963
Shared photographic studio with Nigel Buesst in east Melbourne, Australia.Photography in Australia, weddings, children, social, PR, fashion, for Vogue, Flair magazine Sydney, in house fashions and many other companies. Ford Australia, ICI, Commonwealth Bank, automotive products, advertising agencies. Photographed artists, Mirka Mora, Peter Burns, Donald Laylock, Asher Bilu, Neil Douglas, Tom Roberts, John Percival, John and Sunday Reid, Charles Blackman, Martin Sharp and Olivia Newton John.
1964
Own studio in Flinders lane, Melbourne. Fashion, PR photography. Started working on Photomontage using an enlarger to create montage effects.Brian Epstein (Beatles manager) proposes to management of Robert Whitaker as Photographer and Artistic adviser to Nems Enterprises.Travel to England. Managed by Brian Epstein , photographing his artists.October to December, photography in the UK. Photographs of The Beatles in EMI Abbey Road Studios. Pictures published in the Sunday Express. Photographed The Beatles on Tour of UK. Photographed The Beatles in Faringdon Road, London, for The Beatles 65 record cover in USA (Summer, Winter, Autumn, Spring).
1965
Photographed The Beatles on US Tour, including Shea Stadium, Ed Sullivan Show, New York, Toronto, Minneapolis, Houston, Atlanta, Portland and Los Angeles. Photographed The Beatles on the set of “Help” in UK. Photographed John and Cynthia Lennon at their home in Weybridge. Photographed The Beatles at Sheriff Rd studios, with help from Carol Russel and Stewart Brisley. Photos included use of polystyrene and silver plastic material. Pop art and Auto Destruct Happenings. Photographed Gerry and the Pacemakers for “River Across the Mersey” record cover. Photographed The New Christy Minstrels, Cilla Black, Billy J Kramer, Tommy Quickley, The EasyBeats, Cliff Bennet and the Rebel Rousers (publicity pictures).
1966
Photographed The Beatles at No.1 The Vale, Chelsea Studios, of Olfa Nielsen. Photographs were used on “Yesterday and Today” record cover in the USA (the Butcher session of photographs). Published a book “Beatles USA Ltd” Photographs The Beatles in Chiswick park, EMI Abbey Road studios for promo film of “Paperback Writer” and “Rain”. One image used for back of record cover “Revolver”. June, Toured with The Beatles to Germany, Japan and Manila. Contracted to Bravo magazine, Germany. Life Magazine in Tokyo. One image used for “Oldies but Goldies” record cover.
Leave Epstein, rent studio, 4 Joubert Studios, Chelsea. Shared with Martin Sharp, Later co-founder/photographer OZ magazine. Started photographing Australian group “The Seekers”. Produced a book ”I am the Seekers”. Record covers for albums, sheet music, and ep’s “Seekers in the green. Cilla Black record cover, “Cilla sings a Rainbow” Trevor Lucas record cover, “The Overlander”. Goes to Berlin to Photograph Julie Felix in the making of the film “Der Founding”
1967
Richard Neville arrives in the UK on April fools day. Neville, Sharp, Whitaker start OZ Magazine. Created “Plant a Flower Child” poster with Sharp for OZ Magazine featuring Twins. Photographed for Jeremy Fry his “Unlimited” collection of art productions. Photographed Man Ray in Paris. Photographed events on Kings Road, London, the beginning of the Psychedelic era. July, Toured the UK with the band “The Cream”. Produced with Martin Sharp record cover “Disraeli Gears”. Photographs The Bee Gees recording “To love somebody” at the I.B.C in Portland place and during the filming of their promo video. One image used on the cover of “Spicks and Specks”.
1968
Continued photographing for OZ magazine. Made 35mm film of one of Martin Sharps cartoons “Darling do you love me” with Germaine Greer, a four minute comic opera, which won places in five film festivals three weeks after completion. Produced with Martin Sharp for OZ magazine, “Plant a Flower Child”. Photographed Ravi Shankar. “Every American Citizen” Album cover for the band Procession, London 1968. Photographed The Bee Gees in and around Los Angeles, CA.
1969
Toured and Photographed “The Seekers” in Australia for Channel 9 TV company. Photographed for Tony Richardson the film Ned Kelly, starring Mick Jagger. Photographed Dali in Cadaquez, Spain. Continued photographing Dali until 1972 in Barcelona, Paris and many times at his home. Photographed the Grosvenor Square anti Vietnam war demonstration. Photographed “Terry Street” in Hull for London magazine. Worked on the film “Performance” with Mick Jagger. Photographed clothing for Ossie Clark.Photographed Joseph Loseys film “The Go Between” Travelled to Gibraltar Morocco, for Peter Styvesant, photographing the Gibraltar Straits demonstrations.
1970
Photographed in the Vietnam war for the New York times and Life magazine. Wounded in Cambodia whilst working for Life magazine. Travelled to Venice. Photographed Peggy Guggenheim and Family.
1971
Photographed the Indo Pakistan war in Bangladesh for the London Observer. Photographed Northern Ireland conflict for Time Magazine. Took photos on the film “The Jerusalem File” made by Ram Ben Efraim in Israel.
1972
Married Susan and started a farm, continued farming until 1987
1973
Photographed on the film “Dead Cert” by Dick Francis.
1974
Photographed the Osmond Brothers during their London tour for the BBC and many other programs.
1980
Photographed on the film “The Formula” with John Gielgud, George Scott, and M.Keller in Germany and St.Moritz. Photographed Malcome Muggeridge at the Berlin Wall.
1982
Worked on film “Scarlet Pimpernel” with Anthony Andrews, and Jane Seymour.
1983
Photographed on film “Champions” for Lord Grades company ITC.
1990
Traveled to Germany and Japan to retrieve lost Beatles negatives and transparencies. First sale of a Beatles photo through Christies.
1991
Produced the Book “The Unseen Beatles”. Travelled to the USA on Book Tour for Collins, San Francisco, and appeared on the Joan Rivers Show, and others.
1996
Photograph for Richard Nevilles book “Hippie Hippie Shake”.
2000-2001
Agfa’s Picture of the Year “Whitograph”, Sienna Gallery. Continue to make Whitographs of artists, Sir Anthoney Caro, Howard Arkley, Robert Hunter amongst others.
2002-2011
Bob worked on creating a digital archive of his work and continued to produce books, exhibitions and new photographic ideas including the “Whitograph”.
2011
September 20th, England, Robert Whitaker passes away after a long battle with cancer.