Lee Miller: Portraits from a Life

by Lee Miller, Lee Miller (Photographer)

The remarkable and unconventional Lee Miller was one of the twentieth century's most accomplished photographers. At the age of twenty, she was discovered on a New York street by Conde Nast, who instantly decided to put her face on the cover of Vogue . Two years later she left America for Paris to become a photographer herself. There she became the disciple and lover of Man Ray and an intimate of the Paris art world. World War II saw her as Vogue's war correspondent, present at the liberation of Paris and when the Dachau concentration camp was first entered. Her later years were spent in London and at her home on the Sussex downs, where she kept up the many friendships she had made. Miller came into contact with a wide range of painters, sculptors, actors, novelists, poets, journalists, musicians, dancers, and leaders in the field of fashion. She photographed them all, and many became close friends. In Lee Portraits from a Life , the finest of these photographs are shown together for the first time. They include not only perceptive and sympathetic portraits of Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, Dora Maar, Fred Astaire, Marlene Dietrich, Igor Stravinsky, Yehudi Menuhin, Dylan Thomas, Colette, and a host of others but also pictures of Londoners in the Blitz, of Parisians celebrating their liberation, and of the aftermath of the Third Reich. An exhibition based on this show will be held at the Getty in 2003. 135 duotone photographs.

Genres: Photography, Art, Nonfiction, The United States Of America

160 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2002

Reviews

[Sotiris Makrygiannis · Rating 3 out of 5]

A woman photographer that worked for Vogue magazine and as a war correspondent. Pictures include pre war, war and after war and mainly this book has images of her artists friends including Picasso. Picasso had a nice collection of pottery with patterns that were all over his house in order to inspire him. Many details one can find by observing pictures of others.

[Josie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing work that inspires and uplifts me.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

The beautiful Lee Miller, if only she had shot more self portraits.

[Leonard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of black and white photos by Lee Miller, a well known photographer. Miller photographed some of the most troubling images of the Holocaust. She also took many creative photos of famous people, for example Pablo Picasso, Dylan Thomas, Man Ray, Marlene Dietrich, Maurice Chevalier, and many more. This book contains primarily photos of these people and not many war photos. Miller was also a model for other photographers and artists.
There is a film about Miller currently in theatres, called "Lee" starring Kate Winslet as Miller. This excellent film is primarily about Miller in her efforts to get photos of the war. The photographs she took are an important record of that time in history, and both the film and book are worth seeing.

[reading is my hustle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Iconoclasts make the world so much more interesting...

[Mariana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Retratos con una increíble intensidad, y una vida sumamente interesante. Disfruté conocer acerca de Lee Miller.