Figure 1.-- This portait was taken about 1965. It was part of Boxall's work depicting Gypsy life in the Home Counties. It was part of a 4-year photo essay following two Gypsey families during the most significant transition in Gypsy Culture in several hundred years. They wre making the change from a horse-drawn culture to motor vehicles. This is Valentine Vincent at Charlwood, Surrey.

Anthony Gordon Boxall was an English amateur photographer best known for his sympathetic portrayal of Gypsy life in Britain. He engaged in other forms of genre photograph, but his work with gypseys is by far his best known work. He left school at 14 years of age which was common for wirking-class boys at the time. He found manual labor jobs and attended evening classes at Redhill Technical College. He earned City and Guilds qualifications in technical subjects. He then worked in a bookmaking company, running a shop in Horley (1960s). A a customer managed to convince him to accept a folding camera to settle a small gambling debt. Up until that time he had no particular intgerest in photography. Boxall taught himself how to use it and proved to be a fast learner. He bouhht a more advanced twin-lens reflex camera (TLR) and attempted to become a professional photographer. He failed in this effort. He became an accountant and worked for the Dorking-based Newspaper Press Fund (later renamed the Journalists' Charity). He became an associate of the Royal Photographic Society (1966) and received a fellowship (1969). His best known work was with Gyseys, called Travellers in Britain. began after photographing a couple in a Gypsy caravan from his car without ask permission (1964). The couple was offended and began cursung him. He ignored it and left. He delt a little ashamed. He later looked them up and apologized and offered them prints. He gradually developed a relationship within the Gypsey community and was allowed to take many photographs. He focused on two Gypsey families. At the time a major a transition in Gypsy Culture was underway. After centuries of horse-drawn caravans, the horse was in terminal decline. Boxall was used two TLRs, one loaded with black and white film and the other with color film. This series of photographs was taken over seceral years (1964-68). They were symoathetically done and depict rgeir close family life amid general poverty and absence of basic amenities. Some of the balck and whire photograophs were published in a book (1992). This was delayed nearly three decades because as a resultg of his limited eduaction, he had unable to write a meaningful text. Brian Raywid ultimately provided the text. Mos of his work was done in Britain, nut he also traveled on the Continent. One such portarit shows unidentified boys, possibly in Gerrmany during the 1960s. Boxall earned some money by selling some of his photographs throuh agencies.

Created: 9:20 PM 1/17/2021
Last updated: 9:26 PM 1/17/2021