Autumn Years Winter 2023/24

ing to suppliers’ factories to learn about production methods and techniques, in cluding Wedgwood, Royal Copenhagen, Josephinenhütte and Delft. He also pro vided personalized service to important clients. Manos had to stop working for the family business when he was called for his mandatory military service. He be came a Greek Air Force corporal who, after basic and then electronics training in Greece, was stationed in Izmir, Tur key, as a communications specialist at the NATO Joint Communications Cen ter for Air and Land. After his service re quirement was fulfilled, Manos returned Manos says, “If you want to become a famous photographer, New York City is where the best advertising photographers are. That’s where I actually honed my skills, freelancing and learning from the best!”

Barbara and Manos in Cappadocia, Turkey, 2011.

studio for a job interview and was hired as the studio’s third assistant. “Most of what I know about becoming a successful advertising photographer I first learned in Bailey’s studio working with him,” says Manos. “I still consider Bailey the best advertising photography teacher and role model I could ever have.” Manos was promoted from third assistant to second and was on the cusp of being promoted to first, but his personal life was not nearly as successful. When his relationship ended, he flew home to Greece. Manos still had to fulfill his mandatory military service, which had been delayed while living and studying abroad. When he returned to Athens, Ma nos started working for his father in the family business, a successful retail store that sold high-end crystal, porcelain

Barbara and Manos in Delphi, 1972.

would be strongly encouraged to pursue a different career path. Manos was out cold within minutes but still swears this was not planned. All the same, he was delighted to be “kicked out.” Manos moved to Paris and enrolled in the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs to study composition and painting as a full-time art student. One of his instructors told him he would never be a great painter. “He said I had a very good design sense, but my color sense was too garish,” explains Manos. “However, he did think I could become a good photographer and suggested I work as a studio assistant to learn the technical and compositional secrets of photography,” he adds. Manos soon left art school to travel and live in England with a girlfriend. They eventually settled in London, and Manos quickly found he needed some source of income. He reached out to his former art instructor who offered to introduce him to world famous photographer David Bailey. A few days later, Manos got a call to go to Bailey’s

and home decor goods. Manos’ language skills were put to good use, and his father made him a partner in the company in charge of imports and changed the company name to G. Angelakis & Son. Manos began travel

to the family business but also started dab bling as a commercial photographer to build a portfolio. He finally told his father he did not want to be a porce lain salesman; he want ed to be an advertising photographer. By 1967, Manos had saved enough money to come to New York City to study photography at

Manos on the cover of Anny’s Newspaper Report, 1975.

38 AUTUMN YEARS I WINTER 2023/24