Ready for their close-ups: celebrity passport photos

In 1953, Dave Sharkey, a former professional boxer, and his wife, Ann, founded a photographic studio in Oxford Street, London. The studio promised prints ‘ready in 10 minutes’ long before anyone else in the city could provide such a quick turnaround. Conveniently located near the US embassy and Selfridges, the studio, which was eventually taken over by the couple’s son Philip, became a bustling crossroads for artists, actors, musicians and athletes alike, all looking to get their passport pho...

By All photographs © Philip Sharkey/Phaidon