England: The Last Hurrah

Dafydd Jones' photographs capture the 1980s high society in England, showcasing the excess, decadence, and vulnerability of the established elite.

Format: Hardback
Length: 144 pages
Publication date: 13 April 2023
Publisher: ACC Art Books

‘A fascinating and revealing insight into the lives of the British upper classes. – The Times ‘A brilliant and evocative collection of photographs. – The New Yorker ‘Dafydds photographs will endure for having perfectly captured a society on the brink of decline. – Country & Townhouse podcast ‘Wonderfully ironic,every point in the picture ignites and knows how to entertain very well. – Lovely Books ‘Dafydd catches those moments of genuine exhilaration,wealth and youth. – The Hollywood Reporter ‘I wondered if the party guests Id photographed were just re-enacting a nostalgic fantasy,an imaginary version of England that already no longer existed. – Dafydd Jones In the 1980s,Dafydd Jones, an award-winning photographer, gained exclusive access to some of England's most exclusive upper-class events. Now,the author of Oxford: The Last Hurrah presents this irreverent and intimate portrait of birthday parties,charity balls,Eton picnics,and private school celebrations. With the crack of a hunting rifle and a spray of champagne,these photos offer an almost cinematic account of high-society England at its most riotous and vulnerable. Set against the backdrop of Thatcher's Britain,globalization,the Falklands War,rising stocks,and dwindling inherited fortunes,Jones unveils the inner lives of the established elite as they revel into the night,aware of the fading world around them. Praise for Oxford: The Last Hurrah 'Sublime vintage photographs... – Hermione Eyre,The Telegraph 'In The Last Hurrah...we see familiar faces from British high society poised on the brink of adulthood. – Eve Watling,Independent 'A fascinating and revealing insight into the lives of the British upper classes. – The Times 'A brilliant and evocative collection of photographs. – The New Yorker 'Dafydds photographs will endure for having perfectly captured a society on the brink of decline. – Country & Townhouse podcast 'Wonderfully ironic,every point in the picture ignites and knows how to entertain very well. – Lovely Books 'Dafydd catches those moments of genuine exhilaration,wealth, and youth. – The Hollywood Reporter 'I wondered if the party guests I had photographed were just re-enacting a nostalgic fantasy,an imaginary version of England that already no longer existed. – Dafydd Jones

Dimension: 230 x 190 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781788842198