Lewis MORLEY (1925-2013). Christine Keeler, 1963. Large-form - Lot 535

Lewis MORLEY (1925-2013). Christine Keeler, 1963. Large-format silver print, 45.2 x 34.6 cm image; 52 x 40 cm view. Signed lower right in pencil, numbered 15/25 and titled lower left in pencil. "Christine Margaret Keeler (1942-2017) was an English model and dancer. At the height of the Cold War, she became sexually involved with a married minister, John Profumo, as well as a Soviet naval attaché, Yevgeny Ivanov. A shooting incident involving a third lover prompted the press to investigate her, revealing that her affairs could threaten national security. In the House of Commons, Profumo denied any improper conduct but later admitted to lying. This incident discredited Harold Macmillan's Conservative government in 1963, in what became known as the Profumo affair. Keeler was allegedly a prostitute, which was not a crime. Ward, however, was found guilty of being her pimp; a lawsuit was filed after the embarrassment caused to the government. The trial has since been seen as a miscarriage of justice and a charade orchestrated by the establishment to protect itself." Provenance: Paris Photo, Carrousel du Louvre, 1998, Byron Mapp Gallery.