Philippe Halsman

[Bill_1856]

A thread about Photoshoping on another Forum prompted me to look up and post Halsman's "Dali Atomicus," and started me thinking about this great photographer. He had the technique of Karsh and the humor of Erwitt, did 101 covers for LIFE, and yet is virtually unknown (or at least unrecognized) today. My question is "why has he essentially been forgotten?"

[Gem Singer]

Hi Bill,

Phillipe is gone, but not forgotten. I, for one, am a fan of the great Life Magazine photographers. I'm sure there are many more of us who remember those pictures he made of celebrities jumping. I always liked his wonderful lighting technique.

[John Cook]

I went through Art Center with Toby Hunt, son of the head of Time/Life. As a child, Toby had spent much time hanging around the T/L offices. He often entertained us at lunch with marvelous behind-the-scenes stories of their photographers.

A tale he used to tell about Phillipe Halsman concerned an assignment given to him to make a wonderfully warm, human portrait of some stone-faced elderly Long Island matriarch. No one had ever been able to do it. She apparently had a long drawing room in her mansion with a raised “throne” at the far end, from which she would receive visitors. This woman always insisted that any photographs of her be made while she formally posed in this chair with her “formal” facial expression.

Halsman had his secretary make an appointment for a noon shooting, but sent his crew out to the mansion early in the morning. They spent hours setting up the camera, running wires and adjusting hot lights.

For much of the time, they had this matron sit in her chair so they could properly set the lights. Needless to say, she became bored. Then very bored. Then impatient. And finally extremely testy. Every time she demanded to know where Phillipe was, the crew corrected her by saying that “MISTER Halsman” was a very busy man and would arrive at noon as previously arranged. This, of course, made her even more furious.

Finally, exactly at the stroke of twelve, the double doors at the far end of the room flew open and Phillipe regally marched in, chin stuck out in a perfect imitation of Mussolini, dressed “to the nines” including a long flowing cape.

As he reached the camera he tripped on the carpet and fell flat on his face. The angry matriarch couldn’t help herself and completely broke up in a fit of uncontrollable laughter. Halsman quickly reached up and squeezed the cable release.

The photograph appeared in LIFE.

[Ralph Barker]

I'd agree that Halsman is probably under-appreciated today. He did a lot of great work.

John - wonderful story. Thanks for re-telling it.