Chronology
| 1952 | Born in Zurich, the only child of Ffreebairn Liddon Simpson & Dorina Laura Magda Simpson |
| 1952 | Lived in Accra, a British Gold Coast colony (after independence in 1957 becomes known as Ghana) |
| 1955 | Family posted to Mauritius |
| 1960 | Started Preparatory Boarding School at Hurst Court, Sussex, England |
| 1965 | Continued Boarding education at St. Edmunds School, Canterbury, England |
| 1970 | Foundation year at Ealing School of Art, London |
| 1971 | Starts integrated design course at Ealing |
| 1972 | Decides to concentrate on photography and joins the 2nd year of the photography course at Ealing |
| 1973 | A week’s Internship at Vogue Studios in Hanover Square, London with David Bailey, Clive Arrowsmith and Olivero Toscani has a huge influence on Chris’s decision to concentrate on fashion photography as a career |
| 1973 | Whilst on holiday with his family in Mauritius Chris stays on, as he is commissioned to work as the stills photographer for the filming of Paul et Virginie by the French Production Company A.M.S Opera. Extends his stay in Mauritius after being commissioned to shoot a travel feature for English Vogue followed by a calendar for the Mauritian Tourist Board (these three commissions are sanctioned by his college as work experience towards his final photography diploma) |
| 1974 | Completes his Photography Diploma Course at Ealing School of Art with a Distinction |
| 1974 | Continues career as a fashion photographer 1979 Lives and works in Paris |
| 1982 | Elected to the Chelsea Arts Club, London |
| 1984 | Leaves Paris and returns to concentrate on his work in London |
| 1985 | Given the freedom of the City of London |
| 1987 | While still a fashion photographer Chris decides on shooting a Personal Series of Pictures capturing the Aboriginal people and the Australian Outback. The success of this trip, and the exhibitions that follow, have a profound effect on the direction Chris decides to take with his personal work |
| 1988 | The Special Photographers Gallery in London exhibit Chris’s Australian pictures which coincides with Australia celebrating its Bicentenary. As a result he is commissioned to shoot for the Australian Tourist Board |
| 1988 | Marries Sophie Caruth on the 3rd of December in London |
| 1989 | Elected as a Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society |
| 1989 | Commissioned for the second time to shoot the European campaign for the Australian Tourist Board, as a result Chris takes on more advertising commissions from other agencies |
| 1991 | 27th April, Chris’s mother dies. Chris gives up fashion to concentrate on shooting for advertising clients |
| 1992 | 22nd January Jack Liddon Simpson is born |
| 1995 | 14th April Fergus Alexander Simpson is born |
| 1997 | Sophie and Chris Divorce |
| 1998 | Moves to Sussex to Great Meadow Barn and starts to distance himself from commissioned work to concentrate on his personal photographic projects |
| 2000 | Takes up the livery of the Worshipful Company of Skinners, one of the big 12 London City Guilds |
| 2001 | 25th of January, Chris’s father dies |
| 2005 | Chris is made a Hasselblad Master |
| 2009 | From the Australian Aboriginal series in 1987 to the pictures of Argentinian Gaucho’s in 2008, Chris decides to work on a book illustrating his personal journey of photographs |
| 2010 | Cape Town in April and feeling weak, Chris has scans done in Johannesburg which confirms multiple myeloma, a cancer of the blood and bone marrow. After initial treatment in the UK, Chris returns to Cape Town in November to say goodbye |
| 2011 | Marries Judy Alstadt on the 5th of January at VillaLara in Cape Town. Chris’s first stem cell transplant. Remission for nearly three years |
| 2013 | Trip to Mauritius and Reunion |
| 2014 | Second stem cell transplant in June. Conclusion of Carnets de Voyage, a hand-bound, signed, limited edition book of 100 copies |
| 2016 | Joins Atlas Gallery in December |
| 2017 | Prepares work for Atlas Gallery Launch for Photo London in May 2018. |
| Celebrates 65th birthday and renews marriage vows with Judy in August on a sand bar on the Zambezi | |
| 2018 | Atlas Gallery publishes Carnets de Voyage: A Personal Journey of Photographs and exhibits Chris’s photographs at Photo London |
Working as a stills photographer for the French TV series Paul et Virginie, Mauritius, 1973
A lazy Sunday lunch with my parents at our beach house in Pereybere, Mauritius. Photographed by our dear friend Group Captain Leonard Cheshire VC, 1974
With the Moai in Rapa Nui, 2001
Ouarzazate, Atlas Mountains with the team photographing for L’O ciel Hommes, 1980
Uluru, also known as ‘Ayers Rock’, whilst photographing the Australian series, 1987
Judy and Chris in Madikwe, Africa, 2009