Ian Parry
Encyclopedia
Ian Parry was a British
photographer and photojournalist who worked as a freelance and on assignment for newspapers including The Mail on Sunday
, The Times
and The Sunday Times
. He was killed at the age of 24 in an aircraft crash in Romania
during the overthrow of Communism
. In his honour a scholarship fund was set up to encourage and help young photographers.
in north Wales
. He attended Prestatyn High School, and his interest in photography began while he was very young: by the age of 13 he had learned to develop and print his own film using a darkroom set up by his uncle. He took photographs of people staying at the nearby Pontin's
holiday resort during the summer holidays while still at school. Parry left school at the age of 16 and was taken on by the local newspaper Rhyl Journal as a trainee photographer; the editor Brian Barratt later praised his "nose for a good news picture".
at Sheffield College
, at the age of 21 Parry joined the national newspaper Mail on Sunday. He later worked for both The Times and The Sunday Times. He worked with the Chief Reporter of Mail on Sunday, Barbara Jones, on a front page story about the personal life of Sonia Sutcliffe (wife of murderer Peter Sutcliffe
). During the 1989 Conservative leadership election
, Parry followed the challenger Sir Anthony Meyer
(his local MP) throughout his challenge, photographing him throughout each day; Meyer was impressed with Parry's ability to get access to events and regarded him as "a constant and welcome companion".
broke out in Romania
in December 1989, Parry was working for The Sunday Times
and argued that he should be sent on assignment to cover events there. He spent several days in Bucharest
taking pictures of the city recovering after Ceaușescu was overthrown, photographing soldiers with flowers in their arms, as well as funerals for people killed in the revolution. On 28 December he was returning to Britain and managed to find a place on an Antonov An-24
airliner operated by TAROM
which was travelling out of Bucharest to Belgrade
to pick up relief supplies. He took with him the undeveloped film from other photographers. The aircraft crashed at Găeşti
, 43 miles west of Bucharest, killing all on board. An inquest in November 1990 returned a verdict of accidental death.
A memorial service for Parry was held at St Bride's Church
in Fleet Street
on 30 January 1990. A photograph by Parry of the funeral of a young Romanian killed in the revolution won the Nikon Press Photograph of the Month for January 1990; the picture editor of the Press Association
selected it as the winner because "it summed up better than anything the whole story of Romania and the terrible legacy of sadness inflicted on ordinary Romanians by the Ceaușescus".
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
photographer and photojournalist who worked as a freelance and on assignment for newspapers including The Mail on Sunday
The Mail on Sunday
The Mail on Sunday is a British conservative newspaper, currently published in a tabloid format. First published in 1982 by Lord Rothermere, it became Britain's biggest-selling Sunday newspaper following the closing of The News of the World in July 2011...
, The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
and The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
. He was killed at the age of 24 in an aircraft crash in Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
during the overthrow of Communism
Romanian Revolution of 1989
The Romanian Revolution of 1989 was a series of riots and clashes in December 1989. These were part of the Revolutions of 1989 that occurred in several Warsaw Pact countries...
. In his honour a scholarship fund was set up to encourage and help young photographers.
Early life
Parry was the youngest of four children, and was born and brought up in PrestatynPrestatyn
Prestatyn is a seaside resort, town and community in Denbighshire, North Wales. It is located on the Irish Sea coast, to the east of Rhyl. At the 2001 Census, Prestatyn had a population of 18,496.-Prehistory:...
in north Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. He attended Prestatyn High School, and his interest in photography began while he was very young: by the age of 13 he had learned to develop and print his own film using a darkroom set up by his uncle. He took photographs of people staying at the nearby Pontin's
Pontin's
Pontins is a British holiday business which was originally founded in 1946 by Fred Pontin. It specialises in offering half-board and self-catering holidays with regular entertainment on offer. Accommodation is usually in the form of chalets. The company once grew to be a major operator of...
holiday resort during the summer holidays while still at school. Parry left school at the age of 16 and was taken on by the local newspaper Rhyl Journal as a trainee photographer; the editor Brian Barratt later praised his "nose for a good news picture".
Professional life
After studying at the National Council for the Training of JournalistsNational Council for the Training of Journalists
The National Council for the Training of Journalists was founded in 1951 as an organisation to oversee the training of journalists for the newspaper industry in the United Kingdom and is now playing a role in the wider media.-Purpose:...
at Sheffield College
Sheffield College
Sheffield College is a further education college in Sheffield, England. It was formed by the merger of six FE colleges in 1993. The main centres are Sheffield City College , Hillsborough College and Norton College...
, at the age of 21 Parry joined the national newspaper Mail on Sunday. He later worked for both The Times and The Sunday Times. He worked with the Chief Reporter of Mail on Sunday, Barbara Jones, on a front page story about the personal life of Sonia Sutcliffe (wife of murderer Peter Sutcliffe
Peter Sutcliffe
Peter William Sutcliffe is a British serial killer who was dubbed "The Yorkshire Ripper". In 1981 Sutcliffe was convicted of murdering 13 women and attacking seven others. He is currently serving 20 sentences of life imprisonment in Broadmoor Hospital...
). During the 1989 Conservative leadership election
Conservative Party (UK) leadership election, 1989
The 1989 Conservative Party leadership election took place on 5 December 1989. The incumbent Margaret Thatcher was opposed by the little known 69-year-old backbencher MP Sir Anthony Meyer, Bt.-Background:...
, Parry followed the challenger Sir Anthony Meyer
Anthony Meyer
Sir Anthony John Charles Meyer, 3rd Baronet was a British soldier, diplomat, and Conservative and later Liberal Democrat politician, best known for standing against Margaret Thatcher for the party leadership in 1989...
(his local MP) throughout his challenge, photographing him throughout each day; Meyer was impressed with Parry's ability to get access to events and regarded him as "a constant and welcome companion".
Death
When an uprising against the government of Nicolae CeaușescuNicolae Ceausescu
Nicolae Ceaușescu was a Romanian Communist politician. He was General Secretary of the Romanian Communist Party from 1965 to 1989, and as such was the country's second and last Communist leader...
broke out in Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
in December 1989, Parry was working for The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
and argued that he should be sent on assignment to cover events there. He spent several days in Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
taking pictures of the city recovering after Ceaușescu was overthrown, photographing soldiers with flowers in their arms, as well as funerals for people killed in the revolution. On 28 December he was returning to Britain and managed to find a place on an Antonov An-24
Antonov An-24
The Antonov An-24 is a 44-seat twin turboprop transport designed and manufactured in the Soviet Union by the Antonov Design Bureau from 1957.-Design and development:...
airliner operated by TAROM
TAROM
S.C. Compania Națională de Transporturi Aeriene Române TAROM S.A., doing business as TAROM Romanian Air Transport, is the flag carrier and oldest currently operating airline of Romania. The brand name is an acronym for...
which was travelling out of Bucharest to Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
to pick up relief supplies. He took with him the undeveloped film from other photographers. The aircraft crashed at Găeşti
Gaesti
Găești is a town in Dâmbovița county, Romania with a population of 16,598.- History :The name of the town comes from a family of nobles who owned most of the lands on which the town is now situated...
, 43 miles west of Bucharest, killing all on board. An inquest in November 1990 returned a verdict of accidental death.
A memorial service for Parry was held at St Bride's Church
St Bride's Church
St Bride's Church is a church in the City of London, England. The building's most recent incarnation was designed by Sir Christopher Wren in 1672 on Fleet Street in the City of London, though Wren's original building was largely gutted by fire during the London Blitz in 1940. Due to its location on...
in Fleet Street
Fleet Street
Fleet Street is a street in central London, United Kingdom, named after the River Fleet, a stream that now flows underground. It was the home of the British press until the 1980s...
on 30 January 1990. A photograph by Parry of the funeral of a young Romanian killed in the revolution won the Nikon Press Photograph of the Month for January 1990; the picture editor of the Press Association
Press Association
The Press Association is the national news agency of the United Kingdom and Ireland, supplying multimedia news content to almost all national and regional newspapers, television and radio news, as well as many websites with text, pictures, video and data content globally...
selected it as the winner because "it summed up better than anything the whole story of Romania and the terrible legacy of sadness inflicted on ordinary Romanians by the Ceaușescus".