Photojournalist Eve Arnold dies at age 99

January 5, 2012 11:25 AM

Eve Arnold was regarded as one of the finest photojournalists of the 20th century. Invited to join Magnum Photos in 1951 by Robert Capa, it was with Magnum that she travelled the world documenting areas of America, China, the Middle East and the United Kingdom. A master of both black & white and colour, Arnold thrived in the golden age of photojournalism, when publications gave photographers great resources and freedom to practice their art. A world-travelling photojournalist whose subjects ranged from the poor and dispossessed to Marilyn Monroe, she has died at age 99 : Her page at Magnum Photos. Images from a recent London exhibition. A 1987 audio interview, after the publication of her book of Marilyn Monroe images.
posted by spock (12 comments total)

It's too bad that publications will no longer support photographers like they used to. At the same time, with camera phones all over the place, more people are taking more photos of things that might otherwise have been missed (provided you can get past the police for example).
posted by Old'n'Busted at 12:00 PM on January 5

Or one could say, it's too bad that people will no longer support photojournalistic publications like they used to. (LIFE, LOOK).
posted by spock at 12:24 PM on January 5

Arnold's photos of Monroe have a kind of femminist solidatary about them.
posted by PinkMoose at 12:29 PM on January 5

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posted by HandfulOfDust at 12:41 PM on January 5

So long, Eve. 99 years is a good run. Thanks for all the inspiration!

I used to shoot female nudes when I was a student. I had a lot of friends who were studying art and theatre at the same university, so finding models to agree to sit for me was simple enough, but getting them comfortable enough to disrobe in my studio was sometimes a different story.

Jane, a theatre major who typically had enough self-esteem for four women, came over to be photographed and asked to see my most recent work, which was of our mutual friend. She liked the photos and kept remarking on how slim and "perfect" yesterday's model was.

Suddenly she's just standing there, afraid to lose the sheet she had eggrolled herself in! After a few minutes of trying to relax her and only making it worse, I asked her to name a couple of sex symbols, and the second name she hit on was Marilyn Monroe. I was hoping for that, and I pulled Eve's book of Marilyn off the bookshelf and handed it to her, and I said, "Remember when women were considered beautiful for having bodies just like yours? They still are. See, even you think so!"

That book of photos got so many women out of their clothes for me... I can't even tell you how effective it was! Thanks, Eve, really.
posted by heyho at 12:57 PM on January 5 [2 favorites]

I just looked through this gallery at the Guardian and basically went "Wow!" fourteen times (two images are portraits of Arnold). But each Wow is a different Wow - what a range, and what an extraordinary eye!
posted by Grangousier at 1:25 PM on January 5 [1 favorite]

(it seems like every portrait photographer who ever worked for The Face wanted to do that Malcolm X shot, for example.)
posted by Grangousier at 1:26 PM on January 5

Forgot a BBC link with photos: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-16430611
posted by spock at 1:33 PM on January 5

Somehow she's eluded me until now, but these retrospectives are fantastic. Whoa.

Magnum's twitter feed is worth a follow.
posted by GodricVT at 5:13 PM on January 5

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posted by mochapickle at 7:00 PM on January 5

Boy, thanks an awful lot ! This is great ! I didn't know about her and there are so many incredibly beautiful pictures in your links. Thanks, thanks and thanks !!
posted by nicolin at 2:20 AM on January 6

Here is some more of her work.

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posted by adamvasco at 7:29 AM on January 6