Women

Slim Aarons “Women” explores the central subject of Slim Aaron’s career the extraordinary women who inhabited the upper echelons of society, the arts, fashion, and Hollywood, from the late 1940s through the 1980s.

- WOMEN -

Iconic Characters

The collection contains his most iconic images of renowned figures, such as Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, Eva Gabor, Marlene Dietrich, Jackie Kennedy, Babe Paley, the Duchess of Windsor, C. Z. Guest and more with a tight focus on the women who typified this world. Showcasing beautiful women at their most glamorous in some of the most dazzling locations across the globe, an intimate glimpse into the world of the upper classes and their rituals in the pursuit of leisure. Slim Aarons “Women” is a fresh look at the acclaimed photographer through the muses who inspired his most enduring photographs. Two of the extraordinary women who shared Slim's life were his wife Rita and his daughter Mary. The collection spans every decade in which he photographed, with pictures that were taken in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and parts beyond.

By the end of his career in the early 1990s, however, he had photographed an array of women who played far more varied roles in society: ranchers, lawyers, poets, politicians, surgeons, historians, big game hunters, philanthropists, opera singers, designers, and royalty in their own right.

- WOMEN -

Exclusive Clubs

He gradually covered people and places few other photographers could get to and often breezed into the most exclusive resorts and old-guard clubs where the press was restricted, if not completely banned, such as the Eagle Club in Gstaad, the Corviglia Club in St. Moritz, the Caccia Club in Rome, Bailey's Beach Club in Newport, and the Bath and Tennis Club in Palm Beach.

Slim's long and distinguished run with Town & Country magazine lasted for almost fifty years. He has one of the longest collaborations in magazine history with Town & Country under Tony Mazzola and Frank Zachary. The magazine gave him unfettered access to European and American society and Slim gave the magazine images that chronicled an era.

- WOMEN -

A Natural Raconteur

In the unique professional niche, Slim was keenly aware that his rapport with people was an important key to his success. He was conveniently blessed with the gift of a natural raconteur who loved to entertain people with his curious mix of worldly travel stories and tales of meetings with famous people, topped off with a dash of homespun American-boy-made-good charm. Amusing-and it achieved exactly what it was meant to do: cajole and disarm, put people at ease while gaining their trust, regaling them with silly stories. One of his most beloved photographs, Kings of Hollywood, shows Clark Gable, Van Heflin, Gary Cooper, and James Stewart enjoying an inside joke at a New Year's party at Romanoff's, Beverly Hills, 1957. The joke, according to Slim's daughter Mary Aarons, was what a lousy actor Slim had been as an extra on the movie “It Started in Naples” with Clark Gable and Sophia Loren in 1959.