A Rolleiflex camera given to Richard Avedon by his father became the primary tool for his early service as a staff photographer in the United States Maritime Service. Born in New York City in 1923, Avedon navigated the worlds of high-fashion editorial work and stark documentary portraiture throughout a career that spanned over sixty years.
Early Influences and Education
Raised in a family involved in the dress-manufacturing business, Avedon developed an interest in photography at age 12 while joining a YMHA Camera Club. He attended DeWitt Clinton High School, where he collaborated on the magazine The Magpie with James Baldwin, and later enrolled in philosophy courses at Columbia University before enlisting in the Merchant Marines in 1942.
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In 1944, Avedon began his professional path as an advertising photographer at a department store. Following an introduction to art director Alexey Brodovitch, his images appeared in Harper's Bazaar that same year. By 1946, he opened his own studio. He served as chief photographer for Harper's Bazaar and later moved to Vogue in 1965, eventually leading their cover production until 1988.
Documentary and Studio Portraiture
Avedon utilized a large-format 8x10 view camera to isolate subjects against plain backdrops, removing extraneous props. His portfolio includes figures such as Buster Keaton, Marilyn Monroe, and Andy Warhol. Beyond fashion, he documented the Civil Rights Movement in 1963, the Vietnam War protests, and patients in mental institutions, notably publishing these perspectives in the 1964 book Nothing Personal.
Commercial Collaborations
His commercial influence reached wide audiences through campaigns for Gianni Versace and Calvin Klein. He directed television commercials featuring Brooke Shields and photographed her for several American Vogue covers. Additionally, his work captured the changing landscape of popular music, producing distinct portrait sets of The Beatles in 1967 and 1968, as well as the Electric Light Orchestra in 1973.
Fast facts
- Born: 1923, New York City
- Died: 2004, San Antonio
- Citizenship: United States
- Key Publications: Harper's Bazaar, Vogue, Elle, Look, Graphis
- Notable Book: Nothing Personal (1964)
- Hasselblad Award: 1991
- CFDA Lifetime Achievement Award: 1988
- Prix Nadar Gens d'images: 1994
Questions readers ask
What equipment did Richard Avedon use?
He used a Rolleiflex for early crewmen portraits and later utilized a large-format 8x10 view camera for his studio portraits.
Which major magazines did he work for?
Avedon contributed to Harper's Bazaar, Vogue, Elle, Life, Look, Graphis, and Theatre Arts Magazine.
Achievements
- AIGA Medal
