Jet Age Photographer: The Aviation Photography of Russell Adams

by Tim Kershaw

Russell Adams FRPS (1912-2000) was probably the pioneer photographer of the jet age. His dramatic air-to-air photographs of Britain's early jet fighters like the Gloster Meteor and Javelin regularly graced the pages of magazines and newspapers at home and overseas in the 1950s and early 60s. In fact, his photographs remain so popular that they are still used today with regularity by the aviation press. Russell Adams' photographs so impressed his employers, the Gloster Aircraft Company, that in 1950 they made him their photographer. Unusually for the time, much of his work was air-to-air photography of the aircraft themselves, mainly Meteors and Javelins on test flights. In fact, Russell's photographic work was of such a high standard that he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society. This stunningly illustrated album showcases Adams' very best work, supported by accurate and detailed captions. Adams actually flew aerobatic routines himself as a passenger in a camera aircraft, enabling him to get close to the display aircraft. The adrenaline kick of such high performance flying is vividly captured in his photographs.

198 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2005