in the new medium, he lost interest by 1909 and
returned to his silver and platinum imagery.
After King Edward died in 1910, the de Meyers
began to make a transition. No longer just a society
photographer, he emerged as a fine photographic
craftsman, a skilled and highly paid professional. He
was both a Symbolist and an Orientalist. He photo-
graphed ballet, one of his favorite subjects, and
helped bring the Ballets Russes to England in 1911,
where he photographed the great dancer Nijinsky.
In 1916 an astrologer gave the couple new
names—Mhahra for her, Gayne for him, so some-
times he styled himself as Baron Gayne de Meyer.
When World War I broke out, de Meyer’s Ger-
man title meant that remaining in England would
lead to his internment as a prisoner of war, so the
couple emigrated to the United States, where Conde ́
Nast had offered him a post as photographer for his
magazinesVogueandVanity Fair.Muchofhisfash-
ion work was highly original and innovative, and he
influenced other fashion photographers, as well as
avant-garde artists like Man Ray.
De Meyer was staff photographer forVogueand
Vanity Fair magazines from 1913–1922; he also
began writing editorials for Vogue in 1915. In
1922 he joinedVogue’s competitorHarper’s Bazaar
and put his distinctive imprint on the magazine
until 1929. He not only had revolutionized fashion
photography through his magazine work, but mod-
ified the look and format of the magazines them-
selves. Although he had greatly influenced other
fashion photographers, the prevailing style of fash-
ion photography was rapidly changing in the
1930s, taking on a more hard-edged realism, and
his style, which had never really escaped soft-focus
Pictorialism, became obsolescent.
The baron’s photographs helped ‘‘establish’’
women in society. He photographed celebrities in
a high-key, soft-focus style, which won him great
notoriety. His pictures of Olga are elegant but su-
perficial. Arthur Ollman wrote that ‘‘for de Meyer,
Olga was a religious icon, an image of perfection,
existing on a different plane, a transcendant god-
dess.’’ She died in 1930.
After Olga’s death, de Meyer felt free to move to
Hollywoodwithhisheirandlover,Ernst.He
destroyed most of his original prints before he
left Europe in 1938, but these casualties did not
include his portraits of Olga. When preparing a
1940 retrospective at the home of actor Edward G.
Robinson, however, he could locate only 40
prints. In 1988, however, the photography dealer
G. Ray Hawkins bought a trunk containing de
Meyer’s belongings and discovered a trove of
unpublished photographs of Olga.
In his final years de Meyer abandoned photo-
graphy, and tried his hand unsuccessfully at writ-
ing, leaving behind unpublished novels, plays, and
memoirs, but he never recaptured the brilliance of
his years as both a photographer and guru of fash-
ion and taste. He died of coronary thrombosis in
Los Angeles in 1946. His obituary in the Los
AngelesTimesdid not even mention his profession
as a photographer.
DavidHaberstichSeealso:Beaton, Cecil; Conde ́Nast; Fashion Photo-
graphy; Linked Ring; Pictorialism; Portraiture;
Stieglitz, AlfredBiography
Parentage obscure, possibly born in Paris suburb of Auteuil or
in Paris, 1868. Raised as Adolf Meyer-Watson in Paris by
his mother; studied in Germany but largely self-taught as a
photographer. Married Olga Caracciolo in either 1896,
1897, or 1899 and through her connections gained entry
to the British royal circle and photographed King Edward
VII and his family. Granted the title of baron by the King
of Saxony. Joins Linked Ring Brotherhood, 1898. Emi-
grated to United States, 1913; worked for Conde ́ Nast.
Staff photographer forVogueandVanity Fair, 1913–- Worked forHarper’s Bazaar, 1922–1929. Made por-
traits of wife Olga until her death in 1930; relocated to
Hollywood but abandoned photography. Died of coron-
ary thrombosis in Los Angeles, 1946.
Solo Exhibitions
1909 Photographs in color and monochrome; The Little Gal-
leries of the Photo-Seccession (291), New York, New
York
1909 National Arts Club, New York, New York
1911–1912 Photographs; 291, New York, New York
1976–1977An Exhibition of Photographs by Baron Adolf
De Meyer; Helios, New York, New York
1994–1995A Singular Elegance: The Photographs of Baron
Adolph De Meyer; International Center of Photography
Midtown, New York, New YorkGroup Exhibitions
1900 New School of American Photography; Royal Photo-
graphic Society, England; and Photo Club-de Paris,
Paris, France
1907 Photographs by Baron A. De Meyer and George H.
Seeley; The Little Galleries of the Photo-Seccession
(291), New York, New York
1910 International Exhibition of Pictorial Photography; Alb-
right Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York.
1911 Modern Photographs; Newark Museum, Newark, New
Jersey
2000 The Model Wife; Museum of Photographic Arts, San
Diego, CaliforniaDE MEYER, BARON ADOPLH