Dawn Grayson

Dawn Grayson was one of the foremost models of the late Harrison Marks era. Described by Girl Illustrated as “a byword for professionalism”, she was immensely popular and featured in many publications, not just for Harrison Marks, but also a regular in Toco publications such as Span, Spick and Beautiful Britons. She allegedly got started in the glamour industry after posing for an advertising safety poster and also appeared in a series of advertisements for the Milk Marketing Board. Born as Catherine Sheddock in Ireland and married a Royston Kirkham in Luton in 1962 and won the title of Miss Luton in 1965.

The safety poster in question was taken by Harrison Marks himself and was used by the British Safety Council in 1964 and caused quite a stir, as documented here!

The document and others state in 1964, she was 22 years old and married to a car plant worker based in Luton, Bedfordshire and had an 11 month old son.  Various other magazines also refer to her wanting to move to America or having moved to America as her husband got a highly paid position in electronics.  Another article says she had been in the states for about a year in 1973 and continued her modelling career over there.

So, some things do seem to be true in part, she was married, he was a electronics engineer for a car plant and they moved to Maryland in America in 1970, plus they had at least one child, possibly a girl not a boy.  As to beyond that point, like many other models of that time the details become sketchy.

Real Name: Kay Kirkham
Date of Birth: 1942?
Modelling Aliases:
Carla Higgins, Kay Stevens (Stephens), Gail, Nelson, Dorothy Gregson, Dawn Gayson, Liza Martelle and Dane Grayson
Measurements: 37-24-36  
Eye Colour: Green
Hair Colour (Natural): Redhead
Height: 5ft 4in (1.62m)
Hair Colour (Dyed):
None, but modelled for Harrison Marks under the name Liza Martelle in a long blonde wig.

Magazines:

Filmography: 

Other Publications:

Kamera Calendar 1965
Kamera Calendar 1966 – July
Kamera Calendar 1968 – Cover, January
Harrison Marks Calendar 1969 – February (As Liza Martelle)
 

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Nus Francais Magazine – The Best Studies From France

Nus Francais No.1

Nus Francais No.2

Nus Francais No.3

Nus Francais No.4

Nus Francais No.6


Around 1961 Harrison Marks created another distribution company called Gaffinia Publications.  This company also produced a series of 32 page, Kamera Style booklets featuring the work of three well known French photographers and included the title ‘Nus Francais’.

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In Focus By Harrison Marks


In Focus By Harrison Marks
 

‘In Focuswas yet another title first published by Harrison Marks in 1958 and was identical in style and size to Kamera. Published as a monthly it ran to at least Issue No.21.

It featured some of the well known Harrison Marks Models, such as Pamela Green (Issue No.11) and some not so well known models.

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Solo Magazine (1958 – 1968)

Many other publications were to follow ‘Kamera’ by Harrison Marks. The most successful was ‘Solo’, a similar 32 page black and white format to Kamera, with a colour cover, but featuring just one model in each issue. It was launched in Spring 1958 and ran as a monthly production in parallel with Kamera to Issue No.61 (1968). In practice, like Kamera, Solo was not always published every month. However, there were sixty one consecutive issues.

Clicking the images below will show you a larger image of the cover (sorry very poor images I’ll update them as I get better ones!).  The text link underneath will take you to pages of that Solo edition that have already been published. Unfortunately I have some gaps in the later editions, so there are no working links, but they will be updated as I get copies.

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