Photography of stylish attire has been in existence since the invention of photography in 1839. Later distinguishing itself with an incredible divergence, fashion photography would soon replace fashion illustration in the early 1900s. Contrary to popular belief, the emergence of fashion photography was not the induction of American fashion photographers but, of Parisian photographers; such as Talbot, Felix, Reutlinger and Henri Manuel. The contributions of these pioneers of fashion photography,whose works appeared as early as 1881; would establish a new and exciting dimension of fashion.
Baron Adolf de Meyer considered to be the most important American fashion photographer was European born and knighted by the King of Saxony. His state-of-the art syle of photography would surpass those of old, creating what Vogue magazine would term "artistic" photography in 1914. This in turn paved the way for many brilliant fashion photographers that enhanced the art of fashion photography, using unconventional styles, such as Realism and Surrealism.
Richard Avedon was born in New York City in 1923. Avedon attended the De Witt Clinton High School in New York, where he worked on the school paper with James Baldwin. He attended Columbia University for a short time to study philosophy. In 1942 he worked as a photographer
(1917 -
Lillian Bassman was born in June 17, 1917, in Brooklyn, New York. Bassman's parents were of Russian descent. She studied at Textile High School in Manhattan, New York, in 1933. At the age of fifteen she moved in with photographer Paul Himmel; married in 1935 and had two children Eric and Lizzie.(1938 - )
David Bailey was born in London, England in 1938. Bailey did poorly at school due to undetected dyslexia and irregular wartime schooling. Cinema influenced Bailey's work. He was a member of the British Royal Air Force based in Singapore. In 1959, he started working for photographer John French.(1904-1980)
Cecil Beaton was born in Hampstead, London, England on January 14, 1904. He studied at St John's College, Cambridge. He was a photographer, designer, illustrator, and writer. In 1925 he worked as a clerk and typist, teaching himself photography. Beaton studied the master's techniques and soon began taking portraits(1897-1969)
Erwin Blumenfeld was born in Berlin, Germany in 1897. He studied at the rigorous Askanisches Gymnasium in Berlin. At the age of ten he received his first camera as a gift and he described this moment as when his "real life started." From the beginning Blumenfeld was intrigued by reflected images
(1899 - 1984)
Brassai was born Gyula Halasz, in 1899, in Brasso Transylvania, then a part of Hungary. The pseudonym means "a native of Brasso." His family moved to Paris in 1903-1904. Brassai served in the Austro-Hungarian cavalry in World War I and afterwards briefly attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Budapest.(1918 - 1966)
Henry Clarke was born in Los Angeles, California in 1918. During the early 1940s, Clarke worked as a window dresser for I. Magnin, a high fashion and specialty goods luxury department store in San Francisco, California. In 1946, Clarke moved to New York and took a temporary job as a background and accessorizing assistant at the Vogue studio.(1895 - 1989)
Louise Dahl-Wolfe was born Louise Emma Augusta Dahl, in San Francisco, California on November 19, 1895. In 1914, she studied design at the San Francisco Institute of Art, under Rudolph Schaeffer; and painting with Frank Van Sloan. From 1921 to 1923, she worked designing electric signs. In 1921, she was introduced to(1944 - )
Patrick Demarchelier was born in a small village near Paris, France in 1944. He was third among five children. At the age of seven his stepfather gave him a Kodak camera and since then Demarchelier began to consider a career in reportage or portraiture. At the age of nineteen, Demarchelier landed his first steady
(1868 - 1946)
Baron Adolphe de Meyer was born in Paris, France in 1868. He studied in Germany at a time when photography was being energized both by technical advances and an increasingly dynamic and sophisticated artistry, on view in photographic salons and exhibitions. In the 1890s, he was active in pictorialist amateur circles.(1907 - 1966)
John French was born in Edmonton, London, England in March, 1907. He studied at the Hornsey School of Art from 1926 to 1927. In 1930, French left London to study painting in Italy. In 1936 he returned to England and found a job as a freelance illustrator for the English newspaper, The Daily Express, where he pioneered
(1907 - 1988)
Toni Frissell was born Antoinette Frissell in New York City on March 10, 1907. In 1925, Frissell graduated from Miss Porter's School, Farmington, Connecticut. She worked as a caption writer for American Vogue in 1930, where she was encouraged by editor Carmel Snow to experiment with photography.Page 1 of 3
