I WAS STUNNED AND AMAZED WHEN ANNE SHOWED ME THE NEGATIVES OF THESE PHOTOGRAPHS FOR THE FIRST TIME DURING 2016, AND IN A VERY TOUCHING GESTURE SHE GIFTED THEM TO ME. JUST OVER 12 MONTHS AFTER HER PASSING I WENT TO I&N PHOTO IN DUNDEE TO GET THEM SCANNED, AND THE PORTRAIT OF PALMER BELOW WILL BE THE FRONT COVER OF THE NEW SHANK ANNUAL MAGAZINE, WHICH WILL LAUNCH IN 2023 EXCLUSIVELY AS A PRINT.
I KNOW VERY LITTLE ABOUT THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THESE SHOTS, WHO ANNE WAS WORKING FOR AND WHY SHE WAS PHOTOGRAPHING THIS GOLFING ICON IN ST ANDREWS, ESPECIALLY AS SHE HAD LITTLE OR NO INTEREST IN THE SPORT. ALL I DO KNOW, BIZARRELY, IS THAT ANNE TOLD ME SHE WAS WEARING A KILT WHEN SHE TOOK THEM!
THERE ISN'T A DATE ON THE PHOTOGRAPHS, AND ANNE PASSED AWAY BEFORE I COULD LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH SHE TOOK THEM, SO BY SEARCHING GETTY IMAGES AND DOING OTHER RESEARCH I HAVE COME TO THE CONCLUSION THERE WERE SHOT AT THE 1978 OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP. ANNE WOULD HAVE BEEN 28 WHEN SHE SHOT THESE.
ARNOLD PALMER ON THE WALL BY THE ROAD HOLE, 1978 OPEN, ©ANNE LAMBERTY
ARNOLD PALMER BY THE WALL BY THE ROAD HOLE, 1978 OPEN, ©ANNE LAMBERTY
