Jeffrey Steele

This is Jeffrey Steele in his studio - the photo was taken by David in the early 1960s. Jeffrey was part of a group of Welsh artists called the 56 Group Wales. (The group was formed in 1956 - so of course is now celebrating its 56th anniversary year).

Photo of Jeff Nuttall

If you look at http://www.bricolagekitchen.com/styled-6/index.html you'll see this photo of Jeff Nuttall by David.

I've just been speaking with Islwyn Watkin, a very good friend of David's right from Art School days (see http://artinwales.250x.com/ArtistsWa.htm for more details of Islwyn). He tells me that Jeff and David worked together in the late 50s and 60s, for example at the sTigma Environmental Exhibition in Better Books, March 1965.
By the way, he also said that as far as he knew, David was one of 3 eminent Welsh Photographers - David Hurn and Raymond Moore being the other two.

Top Ranking on Google

...and by the way, have you typed "David Trace" into Google recently? Our David come in at number 1, with his Government Art Collection photographs

Westminster Mention

I've just come across a mention of David in the Westminster Archives - http://www.westminster.gov.uk/libraries/archives/indexes/guide/guide06.cfm

My Uncle

David was my mother Barbara’s ‘big little’ brother - married to Mike - see below).

So I am his niece and my fondest memory of David (and for others I'm sure) were his world-famous 'breakfast shows'. His flat, with endless floors and staircases, would be filled with art and photography exhibits as well as the smell of roasting bubble and squeak and laver bread.

Creativity runs deep on my mother's side of the family and being an art student myself in the late 80s, it was all terribly 'terribly bohemian'. One could be wandering around with a sausage sandwich made from bread bought fresh that morning from Harrods looking at wonderful black and white prints of some distant shores, or deep quarries on Wales.

David was also always encouraging creativity in others. He would by art books and materials for my mother to try and re-kindle her talent. He would also spend hours arguing the merits of fine art vs commercial photography with my father – a heated discussion that would be!

Never a more Welsh man you could meet - considering he had lived in London for so long. He will be missed in Wales just as much as our fair capital.

Mike Crichton Tribute

My name is Mike Crichton, and I am married to Barbara, nee Trace, his youngest sister and have been for 54 years, and had known David for as many years, on and off, and it was only when he moved to London that I really got to know how very talented he was, in many areas, although it was as a professional photographer, that I really got to know him.

He will, I am sure, be missed by all his London friends, and I and my wife, his sister, will miss the lengthy phone calls, when we would discuss the merits of various, cameras, and whether he should "go digitals!"

HE REALLY WAS A LOVELY GUY!

Barbara and Mike.

Recent Photograph of David

This wonderful picture of David was (I think) taken by Susan Forrester on Hampsted Heath.

Fond Memories from a Nephew and God-Son

When my mother, Vi, was 16, she took time off school to look after her newly born baby brother David. So I guess it was fitting that when I was born, David should be my god-father. I really loved David - and still do. He used to come and visit on my birthday every year, and transform the house with his anecdotes and laughter. We'd sit up talking until way past my bed-time, and then David would stay up much later still, reading novel after novel and eating the box of chocolates Mum & Dad always gave him. The following morning he'd get up late. I'd be eagerly waiting, because when David was there we could have a cooked breakfast! (But no Laver-bread - that had to wait until going to one of David's famous Welsh Breakfasts many years later)

Daivd would give me presents on my birthday - one that sticks in my memory is a candle-making kit he could ill afford. As a young adult he gave me a couple of his photographs, one of Dorothea and one of arches and windows at night in Venice. Photography was his greatest gift to me - I remember visiting him in his flat in London for the first time, sitting and looking through his book of Dorothea Quarry photographs, and being amazed. I've never followed his exhortation to buy a medium format camera, but I remember his tips on holding the camera steady. He's somehow there every time I press the shutter.

Lambeth Archive Photographs by David

Between the early 1960s and the late 1990s David took thousands of photographs in Lambeth, in collaboration with Yvette at the Minet Library. Yvette, who also died recently, was an aunt of David's brother-in-law Michael Crichton. Here are links to a few of the photographs, on the Lambeth Landmark website.

South Bank House

East Brixton Railway Station

Bowden Street, Kennington

Stables, South Island Place:

Interior view

Interior view

View of the yard from adjoining library building

Harness maker in foreground

View of yard with side of stables and carts

View of yard with stablemen, side of stables and carts

Outside the stable with stableman and recently groomed horse

A photograph from 1890, printed by David:

Rose & Sons, builders, carpenters and furniture repository

A Boy in 100,000

There was an article on the front page of the South Wales Echo on Wednesday 14th February, 1951: "David Trace, a young Cardiff schoolboy, is a boy in 100,000. David, aged 14, lives at 36 Colum Road, Cardiff, and he won first prize of £40 out of 100,000 entries in a painting competition organised by R.K.O. Pictures, Ltd. A pupil of Canton High School for Boys, David received his cheque from the Lord Mayor of Cardiff (Alderman George Williams) at the city hall today." Many thanks to Gwyneth Trace, David's sister in-law, for getting this from the newspaper and circulating photocopies around the family.