This signature of Eric Skipsey on a photograph has gained world-wide recognition as the hallmark of excellence, whether in the field of portraiture, fashion or the theatre. Moreover, his subjects comprise a veritable Who’s Who of international society, the arts and politics.

Among the many honors which have been bestowed upon him are: a Fellowship in portraiture from the Royal Photographis Society, an Associatship from the British Institute of Photographers, a Masters degree from the Professional Photographers of America, the coveted Canadian Ansco Award (1952), the President’s Trophy of the Professional Photographers Association of California. In addition he has had many of this pictures selected by the Professional Photographers of America for their exclusive Loan Collection.

His reputation has made him the favorite photographer of many motion picture luminaries. Among the film stars who have sat for him are such celebrated personalities as Elizabeth Taylor, Greer Garson, Burl Ives, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Tony Curtis, Loretta Young, Rod Taylor, Ava Gardner, Deborah Kerr, Jimmy Stewart, Helen Hayes, Angela Lansbury and the late Clark Gable, Gary Cooper, Marilyn Monroe, Spencer Tracy, Ingrid Bergman, Jayne Mansfield and Edgar Bergen.

Other world figures for whom he has done portraits include President Ronald Reagan, the Right Rev. Dr Fisher Archbishop of Canterbury, Field Marshall Lord Alexander of Tunis, Prime Minister Clement Attlee, Igor Stravinsky, Dame Margor Fonteyn and HRH the Proncess Alexandra of Kent.

In the field of fashion, he has photographed the glamorous creations of such popular couturiers as David Hayes, Travilla, Cahill, Blackwell, and the fabulous Edith Head. In the field of theatre he served as official photographer to the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera, the Players Ring Theatre, the Stage Society of Hollywood, and many national travelling companies.

Among the Broadway shows for which he has done production pictures are the musical hits "Oliver", Hello Dolly", "110 in the shade", "Gigi", Man of la Mancha" and the stage play "The Constant Wife" and "Souvenir".

Eric is of English and French descent. His late father, Richard Stuart Skipsey, was an English portrait painter, and his mother, a French noblewoman, was the daughter of the Marquis de Boubersse de Corberville.

Eric was born in Canterbury, England, and received most of his early education in private boarding schools, having attended preparatory school in Godalming, Surrey, and later the Perse School at Cambridge. His collegiate training was at Cambridge University, Emmanuel College, where he studied Engineering.

His first job was as a technical representative for the Shell Oil company in London, but it was soon interrupted by the advent of World War II.

He served as an enlisted man with the Royal Army Service Corps during the early days of the war in 1939. He was wounded during the Dunkirk Battle and was forced to accept a medical discharge from the service. Later he became a civilian instructor for the War Office teaching to re-enlist in the elite Back Watch Regiment where he was commisioned as an officer. Shortly thereafter he was promoted to Captain and attached to Intelligence at General Montgomery’s Headquarters to participate in the historic invasion, seeing action with the Canadian Corps in France and Holland.

After being demobilized at the end of the war, young Skipsey decided on a career as a photographer and pursued an intensive course of study in London, Brussels and Paris, later moving to Canada, where he opened his first studio in Vancouver BC. To broaden his scope he took a job as press photographer with the newspaper the Vancouver Province. In that capacity he was selected as one of the official photographers to accompany Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip on their first official tour in Canada – which he considers one of the real highlights of his career.

Although he was becoming known as one of Canada’s most prominent portraitists and fashion photographers, in addition to his press work, Eric felt that he could more fully express his talents in the world of show business. For that reason he closed his studio in Vancouver and moved to Los Angeles in 1956.

Today, his studio on Sunset Boulevard is filled with the photographs of the great and near great of show business… attesting to the wisdom of that decision.

Eric has two consuming hobbies to which he has devoted much of his adult life. He was a brilliant ice skater, having won his silver medal in figure skating in England where he also competed in the British Pair Skating championships. Now that he no longer skates he spends a lot of his spare time on the tennis courts with his lovely wife, Frances.

During his time he has also performed in numerous Little Theatre plays in London, Vancouver and Hollywood, and even appeared once in a professional production at the Players Ring in Hollywood.

He served on the Board of Directors of the Professional Photographers West for seven years and had the honor of being elected its President on two occasions, 1965 and again in 1968.

He has lectured at many photographic conventions and photographic schools catering to professionals, and on occasion to amateurs too.

Eric became an American citizen in May 1967.