Oliver Messel; Anne Parsons (née Messel), Countess of Rosse
1 portrait of Oliver Messel
© reserved; collection National Portrait Gallery, London
Oliver Messel; Anne Parsons (née Messel), Countess of Rosse
by Van Hallan Press Agency
bromide press print, 28 May 1959
6 3/8 in. x 4 3/4 in. (161 mm x 120 mm) image size
Transferred from Evening Standard Library, before 1983
Photographs Collection
NPG x184058
Sittersback to top
- Oliver Hilary Sambourne Messel (1904-1978), Artist and stage designer. Sitter in 27 portraits.
- Anne Parsons (née Messel), Countess of Rosse (1902-1992), Former wife of Ronald Owen Lloyd Armstrong-Jones, and later wife of 6th Earl of Rosse; daughter of Leonard Messel. Sitter in 17 portraits.
Artistback to top
- Van Hallan Press Agency, Photographers. Artist or producer associated with 7 portraits.
Subjects & Themesback to top
Events of 1959back to top
Current affairs
Harold Macmillan wins the general election with an increased majority, returning to office as Conservative prime minister. The victory was the result of perceived economic improvement under the Conservative government, and his (misquoted) boast: 'you've never had it so good.' During his premiership he earned the nickname 'Supermac', coined by cartoonist, Victor 'Vicky' Weisz.Art and science
Claudia Jones organises the first West Indian-style carnival in the country, starting the tradition of the annual Notting Hill carnival. The event was a response to the race riots of 1958, and an attempt to celebrate West Indian culture and help overcome racial prejudice by giving the whole community the opportunity to join in the event.International
Fidel Castro becomes leader of Cuba. After defeating the American-backed Batista government, Castro's revolutionary army arrived in Havana on 8th January where Castro proclaimed himself Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. Within a month, Prime Minister José Miró Cardona had resigned, and Castro took over.In Tibet, an uprising against Chinese rule is brutally crushed, and the Dalai Lama flees to India, beginning his long exile.
Comments back to top
We are currently unable to accept new comments, but any past comments are available to read below.
If you need information from us, please use our Archive enquiry service . Please note that we cannot provide valuations. You can buy a print or greeting card of most illustrated portraits. Select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Buy a Print button. Prices start at around £6 for unframed prints, £16 for framed prints. If you wish to license an image, select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Use this image button, or contact our Rights and Images service. We digitise over 8,000 portraits a year and we cannot guarantee being able to digitise images that are not already scheduled.