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Arthur Steel (photographer)
Arthur Steel (born 6th December 1936) is a British photojournalist, whose work captures actors, celebrities, sports personalities, and musicians from the 60s, 70s and 80s as well as animals in rare moments.

Life and career
Steel, the eldest of three children, was born in Newcastle upon Tyne. At the age of nine his mother contracted tuberculosis and as a result Steel and his siblings were living in an orphanage for a year whilst she was recovering.

Aged 12 Steel decided to devote his life to church and began to study priesthood at Ushaw College in the County Durham. A brief return home for Christmas had lifelong impact on Steel who was given a box camera by his parents. It was then when Steel's interest in photography was born. During the next three years at the College Steel would spend many hours waiting to capture the 'one shot', a frugal practice that he would keep up throughout his career.

By the age of 15 Arthur decided to leave the priesthood studies and started to work for The Evening Chronicle in Newcastle. Steel started off as a trainee accountant and progressed to trainee photographer for the same newspaper only six months later, marking his path to Fleet Street.

Despite spending much of his time in the darkroom and limited opportunities to photograph on assignment initially, Steel learned valuable lessons, including never missing a crucial shot.

After completing two years of National Service as an Army Photographer, Steel pursued his passion for photography in Fleet Street. In 1963, he joined the staff of the Daily Herald in Manchester before relocating to London to work for The Sun newspaper. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Steel's career flourished as he covered a wide range of assignments, from world news events to celebrity portraits. Notable highlights include capturing formal photographs at Princess Anne's wedding and historical moments such as the wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana.

Steel's distinguished career was marked by numerous accolades, including winning the Granada television 'Picture of the Year Award' for his photograph titled 'Wilson's in Defeat.' However, the changing landscape of journalism led to personal health challenges, ultimately prompting his retirement in 1990.

Today, Steel, now in his late eighties, enjoys retirement in Wimbledon, overseeing the production of his rare photographic prints from recently unearthed negatives. His work continues to be celebrated for its historical significance and artistic merit.

Personal life
Steel got married to Irene Freyne in Dublin in 1965. They have four children: Mary, Noreen and Josephine who are twins and son Patrick.

Honours and awards

 * 1969: Granada television ‘Picture of the Year Award’ - ‘Wilson’s in Defeat’