Classic Hollywood Portrait Photographers

[colinlane]

Pretty new to APUG, and have loved reading various threads. Thank you for this great resource!

Just wanted to see if people had suggestions or favorites in this area: 1930s and 40s Hollywood portrait photographers. I have just lately started to investigate them in more detail (the photographers, lighting, technique, lack of technique, etc).

So far, I've really enjoyed stuff by CS Bull and Roger Hicks, and a few compendium-type books edited by John Kobal... as well as a book on more general Hollywood lighting in film (Keating's Hollywood Lighting from the Silent Era to Film Noir)

Do others have favorite photographers/books/resources about this era? Thanks!

[Bob Carnie]

Nicholas Murray I believe is a wonderful portrait photographer from that era

[David A. Goldfarb]

George Hurrell was the master--

http://www.hurrellphotography.com/

Anyone who makes B&W photographs could learn something from his lighting and from seeing his prints in person, even if you have no interest in the subject matter.

[jeff.blackwell]

Your research should start with George Hurrell, but should also include Bruno Bernard ( Bernard of Hollywood), and some of the Life magazine photographers like Cecil Beaton.

[jeff.blackwell]

Check out this book, it has some great examples of George Hurrell's work:

http://www.amazon.com/Hollywood-Port.../dp/0817440208

[colinlane]

thanks, jeff-- this looks like a really interesting resource; I just ordered a copy.

[Marcus S]

Edward Quinn photographed many Hollywood celebrities using a Rolleiflex TLR and a Leica.
His wife was his talented darkroom technician. Prints from his original negatives are still available.

www.edwardquinn.com

[Louis Nargi]

To me George Hurrell was the best

[David A. Goldfarb]

I saw a fine display of classic Hollywood portraits--original prints--today at the newly renovated American Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, Queens, just a few stops from Manhattan. They are not all really displayed for close study, many prints being above eye level, but it's an impressive collection, with quite a few Hurrell 11x14's, presumably contact prints.

Maybe I'll start a new thread about the museum.

[colinlane]

thanks for suggesting it; when I lived in astoria, i used to walk by the MMI whenever I went to the movies-- never been inside, however, which is a shame.