Mark Gerson, a British photographer renowned for his intimate portraits of literary figures, has died at age 104. Over a career spanning half a century, Gerson captured iconic images of authors including Evelyn Waugh, Doris Lessing, William Golding, Tom Stoppard, and Martin Amis, often photographing them in their own homes to put them at ease. His most famous picture is of a grumpy Waugh on his 60th birthday, taken after Gerson was plied with wine. Gerson's work was championed by National Portrait Gallery director Roy Strong, and in 1996 the gallery held a major exhibition of his portraits titled "Literati."
Gerson's death marks the end of an era in literary portraiture, as he was the go-to photographer for British publishers seeking images for major authors' books. His ability to earn subjects' trust produced relaxed, revealing portraits that became definitive visual records of 20th-century writers. The National Portrait Gallery's collection of his work ensures his legacy endures, offering future generations a window into the personalities behind some of the most important English-language literature of the postwar period.