Norman Parkinson was one of the photographers who changed the look of fashion photography forever. In long periods working for British Vogue, from 1941 to 1975, Parkinson took the austere catalogue-model approach of the early 1900s, and administered high doses of glamour and spontaneity; as models were becoming celebrities, Parkinson gave birth to the relaxed confidence they exude to this day.
Showing at London gallery Eleven, Elegance in Vogue takes a walk through Norman Parkinson’s influence on the fashion world, through unseen vintage work and posthumous prints; coinciding with the National Portrait Gallery’s Vogue 100: A Century in Style which, naturally, includes much of the photographer’s work for the famed publication.
Casual, decadent, undeniably glamorous, Elegance in Vogue continues until 24 March.
Norman Parkinson
Fashion Pure and Simple, British Vogue, February 1968
Vintage Silver Gelatin Print
20 x 16 in / 51 x 40 cm
Norman Parkinson
More Taste Than Money, British Vogue, February 1950
Vintage Silver Gelatin Print
12 ¼ x 11 ¾ in / 32 x 30 cm
Norman Parkinson
White Weddings (Twiggy), British Vogue, February 1967
Vintage Silver Gelatin Print
11 x 17 in / 28 x 43 cm
Norman Parkinson
Out and Out Entertaining Elegance, British Vogue, October 1, 1966
Vintage Silver Gelatin Print
15 x 13 in / 38.5 x 33 cm
Images courtesy of Eleven, London, and the Norman Parkinson Archive
