Edward Steichen: In High Fashion, The Condé Nast Years 1923-1937

Stylish exhibition at the Photographers’ Gallery of pictures by Edward Steichen for Vogue and Vanity Fair in the 1920s and 30s.

These were beautiful sharply focused images arranged in date order. Each one was marked with the date it was published in a magazine. They were arranged really well in a lovely symmetrical, rhythmic hang which made them easy to look at and made the gallery really attractive. I also liked the use of design he did for silk which was used as a feature wallpaper. A nice understated touch.

I loved the fashion photography and because of the chronical hang you could trace the evolution of the wonderful flapper dresses into the cool elegant bias cut gowns of the 1930s. I particularly loved his photographs of the lovely brocade T-bar shoes. 

I also liked the wonderful portraits he did of a wide range of people. I’d expected the Hollywood elite and the acres of actors and actress we have now forgotten, but I hadn’t expected Harold Nicolson and W.B. Yeats to pop up!

This was a lovely study of the people and clothes of an era.

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