E J Riding

E. J. Riding ('Eddie') was Richard Riding's father (the photographer of our Riding the 60's book and series of prints).

Like his son, Edward spent his life in photography and worked in aviation before WW1.

EJ Riding was apprenticed to A. V. Roe & Company and employed as aircraft engineer up to the war.

It was during the war that E J Riding became an AID inspector and was seconded to Fairey Aviation, London Aircraft Production and the de Havilland Aircraft Company, latterly signing out Halifax bombers and Mosquitoes as airworthy and ready for test flying.

Sadly, E J Riding was killed in a flying accident in 1950.

E J Riding began taking photographs of aircraft in 1931, aged fifteen. Fortunately, he kept copious notes recording the locations and dates of when and where aircraft were photographed, noted aircraft colour schemes, etc. details rarely recorded by the press at the time.

These iconic images have been painstakingly retouched and, in some case, part re-illustrated in order to reproduce the atmosphere of the day as close as possible to the original.