60s life through a lens

It is the image that launched the career of the first supermodel and became an icon of the Swinging Sixties.

And now Twiggy's first professional portrait is going under the hammer at a charity auction on Thursday.

The photo of the former hairdresser from North London, who was mocked at the time for her stick-thin figure, has been donated by award-winning photographer Barry Lategan.

He took pictures of some of the biggest stars of the 1960s, including the Rolling Stones, and is credited with not only discovering but also giving Lesley Hornby her nickname Twiggy.

A sixteen-year-old Hornby strolled into Lategan's studios after being told she was model material by a friend.

Lategan's images of the 38kg (6st) beauty propelled her to stardom, and created a new body image for women.

After the photo shoot, Twiggy was named the Face of 1966 by a national newspaper - an accolade that catapulted her to fame and fortune.

Ready Set Go, from photographer Tom Murray's famous Beatles collection, will also go under the hammer in the auction for Help the Hospices.

His pictures of the Fab Four, called The Mad Day The Summer of 68, has been valued at £1.24million.

About 240 other images, selected to celebrate British photography, will be auctioned. They can be viewed at www.livingexposure.co.uk