Fly British across the World - London to Sydney - Qantas Empire Airways (QEA) in Association with Imperial Airways

Russell Roberts (b.1904) began selling advertising and organising the fashion photography for Ure Smith's publications in 1931. Before the collapse of the automobile industry during the Depression, Roberts had handled the sales and promotional work for Chrysler Motors in Australia. For six months in 1927, he had worked in the headquarters of the firm in America and experienced the missionary zeal and scale of their promotions. Working for Ure Smith he quickly realised the potential for an advertising agency which could provide a range of services. Russell Roberts Pty Ltd was established in 1932 and by the time his studio work was included in the Contemporary Camera Groupe exhibition, the staff of designers and photographers had reached thirty(1). In addition to glamour studio work, Roberts' studio was distinguished by more naturalistic fashion photography shot on location in the European manner pioneered by such talents as Martin Munkacsi (1896-1963)