Club member Peter John Cutts, noted photographer, dies at 70

Peter John Cutts, a highly regarded professional photographer and 18-year member of the National Press Club, died July 3 of liver cancer at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. He was 70 and lived in Falls Church, Va.

Cutts, who was cited by Washingtonian magazine as one of the area's top 10 photographers, was born in London where he drove a double-decker bus while working his way into fashion photography. He often regaled Club colleagues with accounts of photographing Twiggy, the rail-thin British model and cultural icon, early in her (and his) career.

He worked at London's Martin Mandell Advertising Studios and by 1968 his photographs were appearing in major British newspapers, magazines and catalogs.

In the early 1980s Cutts developed contacts in Washington while covering events in D.C. for British and Australian publications. In the mid-1980s he established Peter Cutts Photography in Washington and focused mainly on corporate and government assignments. His portfolio ranged from wedding portraits to Washington politicians and visiting celebrities.

Cutts was an early member of the Club's photography committee and last year photographed the Club's annual Civil War/American Battlefield Trust outing held at Antietam. He was also a regular at a professional photographer's round table hosted at the Club by photography committee founder Marshall Cohen.

In addition to the Club, Cutts was a member of the U.S. House and Senate Press Photographers Gallery and Professional Photographers of America.

Cutts enjoyed escaping the hectic pace of Washington and frequent travel assignments at his beach house in Long Neck, Del., working in his garden, and being a soccer referee.

Funeral services were held in Falls Church on July 27. Survivors include his wife of 34 years, Valerie; two children, Ashley and Michael,