First published 2009
Eve Arnold transforms from a Philadelphia-born photographer into Magnum's pioneering female member, documenting both Hollywood legends and unknown subjects across six decades. Born in 1912, Arnold captures intimate portraits of Monroe, Dietrich, Gable, and Crawford while simultaneously creating powerful visual essays on Malcolm X and the Black Muslims. Her career unfolds in three distinct phases: her early years from 1948 to 1960 establishing herself in New York, her move to the UK in the 1960s when she begins working with color film, and her later international assignments from 1971 to 1997 covering the Middle East and Afghanistan. Arnold's lens reveals people in both formal studio settings and candid moments, creating a comprehensive record of human subjects from movie stars to political figures. This collection presents 150 color illustrations spanning her entire career, showing how one woman's vision captured the famous and forgotten alike across changing decades and continents.
Genres: biography, art, 20th-century, 21st-century, photography
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: documentary, found-family, visual-essay
Setting: Afghanistan, Middle East, New York, Philadelphia, United Kingdom
Period: 1948-1960, 1960s, 1971-1997, 1912
176 pages · Hardcover · Thames & Hudson