▁of ▁n udes ▁and ▁joint ly ▁set ▁up ▁a ▁studio , ▁Ph oto ▁Centre ▁Ltd ., ▁with ▁John ▁Ever ard ▁and ▁Hor ace ▁Ro ye ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 9 . ▁From ▁ 1 9 5 8 ▁he ▁was ▁chief ▁photograph er ▁for ▁J . ▁Russell ▁& ▁S ons , ▁eventually ▁purch asing ▁the ▁business ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 1 . ▁From ▁ 1 9 5 8 ▁to ▁ 1 9 6 7 ▁he ▁was ▁the ▁official ▁photograph er ▁for ▁the ▁National ▁Phot ographic ▁Record , ▁initi ated ▁by ▁the ▁National ▁Port rait ▁Gallery ▁to ▁record ▁important ▁and ▁influ ential ▁citizens . ▁He ▁was ▁a ▁fellow ▁of ▁the ▁Royal ▁Phot ographic ▁Society . ▁ ▁Life ▁and ▁work ▁Early ▁in ▁his ▁career ▁Bird ▁worked ▁mostly ▁on ▁advert ising ▁comm issions ▁and ▁port ra its ▁that ▁were ▁published ▁in ▁period ical s ▁such ▁as ▁Theatre ▁World ▁and ▁Tat ler . ▁He ▁shared ▁his ▁stud ios ▁at ▁Kin ocrat ▁House , ▁ 8 5 , ▁C rom well ▁Road , ▁London ▁with ▁the ▁photograph er ▁Joan ▁Cra ven . ▁He ▁became ▁famous ▁for ▁his ▁images ▁of ▁n udes ▁and ▁was ▁a ▁rival ▁of ▁the ▁photograph ers ▁John ▁Ever ard ▁and ▁Hor ace ▁Ro ye . ▁As ▁the ▁inten se ▁competition ▁was ▁harm ing ▁their ▁business , ▁they ▁eventually ▁decided ▁to ▁co oper ate ▁instead , ▁which ▁led ▁to ▁them ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 9 ▁setting ▁up ▁a ▁joint ▁company ▁called ▁Ph oto ▁Centre ▁Ltd . ▁ ▁They ▁made ▁their ▁headquarters ▁in ▁a ▁suite