ONE of Carmarthenshire’s finest photographers passed away on Wednesday (Jan 6).
Ken ‘Mayfair’ Davies who ran the Mayfair studios in Carmarthen covered some of the biggest events in Wales including the Aberfan disaster having been one of the first cameramen on the scene that day. Ken was originally from Cwmtydu near Newquay and his interest in photography started when he was in the RAF based at Southampton. Ken became a freelance photographer and soon built up a prolific collection documenting events throughout Wales including the famous victory for Gwynfor Evans who became one of Ken’s great friends. The Welsh politician and President of the Welsh political party Plaid Cymru was the first Member of Parliament to represent Plaid at Westminster.
Ken became a full-time cameraman for West & Welsh Network before working for HTV television. He eventually moved to the BBC. Before Ken died he left his collection of some 4,000 images to the National Library of Wales. Most of his work was in black and white and topics he covered included the Free Wales Army, the erection of oil refineries at Milford Haven, the oil refinery fire c1970, Eisteddfods, digging Babs out of the sand at Pendine , the building of Llyn Brianne Dam, Nantymoch before it was flooded and numerous portraits and studies of people in his beloved Carmarthenshire including the Tywi coracle men Raymond Rees, Owen Elias and William Elias and ice skaters at Abergwili .
Ken Davies died on Wednesday (Jan 6) aged 86. He leaves behind his wife Morwenna.
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