vanity fair

EXHIBITION ROYAL ONTARIO MUSEUM

portraits of a lifetime Jean Harlow at home by George Hurrell 1934 Vanity Fair, January 1935 © Condé Nast Publications Inc. / Courtesy Condé Nast Archive

Come September and the Vanity Fair magazine showcases select photographs from its pages spanning a century—from 1913 to 2008—at the Royal Ontario Museum in Canada LL BUREAU AFTER ITS stupendous success in Europe, the star-studded exhibition opens in North America on Saturday, September 26, 2009 at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), bringing 150 portraits, including classic images from Vanity Fair’s early period and photographs featured in the magazine since its relaunch in 1983.

A collaboration between Vanity Fair and the National Portrait Gallery, London, the

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INSPIRATIONAL DESIGN IS THE ULTIMATE LUXURY

Gloria Swanson by Edward Steichen 1924 Vanity Fair, February 1928 © Condé Nast Publications Inc. / Courtesy George Eastman House August 2009 | www.lifestyleliving.in

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EXHIBITION ROYAL ONTARIO MUSEUM

exhibition is curated by Terence Pepper, Curator of Photographs at the National Portrait Gallery, and David Friend, Vanity Fair’s Editor of Creative Development. Vanity Fair Portraits is presented by the Bay and will be displayed in the Roloff Beny Gallery on Level 4 of the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal.

The exhibition brings together a collection of spell-binding images of cultural icons from the magazine’s vintage and modern periods. Personalities who sat for their portrait for the famous magazine range from Claude Monet, Amelia Earheart and Jesse Owens to David Hockney, Arthur Miller and Madonna, as well as legendary Hollywood personalities, from Charlie Chaplin and Greta Garbo to Demi Moore and Tom Cruise.

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Throughout its 95-year history, Vanity Fair magazine has helped portray some of the most influential individuals in the world. The magazine’s mix of artistic seriousness and popular celebrity means that portraits of writers, artists and leaders of the avant-garde will be displayed alongside images of actors, musicians and athletes, providing a fascinating range of high and popular culture.

William Thorsell, Director and CEO, ROM, said, “We are delighted to bring Vanity Fair portraits to the ROM. Across its history, the magazine has been a barometer of the cultural mood of the time. This exhibition succeeds in channelling a mixture of the bygone days of Hollywood glamour, as well as newsmakers in art, business, politics and

sport—all captured by some of the best portrait photographers in history.”

Vanity Fair Portraits was mounted to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the modern-era magazine and the 95th anniversary of the original magazine’s founding. The exhibition is divided into two parts, 1913-36, the magazine’s early period, and from 1983 to the present. In addition to the portraits, the exhibition will include vintage and modern editions of Vanity Fair magazines.

Since its launch in 1913, Vanity Fair came to be known for its array of portraits, which were commissioned from the greatest photographers of the period. The current exhibition includes images of HG Wells, James Joyce, DH Lawrence, Rebecca West,

INSPIRATIONAL DESIGN IS THE ULTIMATE LUXURY

Legends of Hollywood by Annie Leibovitz 2001 L-R: Nicole Kidman, Catherine Deneuve, Meryl Streep, Gwyneth Paltrow, Cate Blanchett, Kate Winslet, Vanessa Redgrave, Chloë Sevigny, Sophia Loren, Penélope Cruz Vanity Fair, April 2001 © Annie Liebovitz / Contact Press Images / Courtesy of the Artist

Ernest Hemingway, George Bernard Shaw, Albert Einstein, Collette, Pablo Picasso and Noel Coward. The images have been captured by legendary photographers such as Martin Hölig, Cecil Beaton, Baron De Meyer, Man Ray and Edward Steichen.

Caption: Hollywood Cover by Annie Leibovitz, April 2001 (L-R: Nicole Kidman, Catherine Deneuve, Meryl Streep, Gwyneth Paltrow, Cate Blanchett, Vanessa Redgrave, Kate Winslet, Chloë Sevigny, Sophia Loren and Penelope Cruz).

Hilary Swank by Norman Jean Roy 2004 Vanity Fair, March 2005 © Norman Jean Roy

August 2009 | www.lifestyleliving.in

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