that surrounds celebrity. Barbara Plumb in her
introduction to the bookInteriorswrote:
Whomever Horst photographed, he beguiled. It was
magic to watch him at portrait sittings. When the rapport
had jelled, he would ask for a Dubonnet or a Campari,
depending on his mood, and then start clicking away
with his Rolleiflex or Hasselblad. Even the stiffest and
most fidgety of subjects overcame any natural shyness
and fear of the camera in Horst’s presence because he
made each one feel appreciated and beautiful. The
whole process was so much like a seduction that often
other people in the room felt like intruders—or voyeurs.
One knows upon viewing these works that these
were seamless collaborations between sitter and
photographer, both of whom were enjoying their
task at hand.
What ultimately characterizes Horst’s photogra-
phy is his conception of beauty. He studied classi-
cal poses, Greek sculpture, and classical painting.
He devoted meticulous attention to details such as
the positioning of hands, arms, and feet during the
process of being photographed. The Detolle corset
for Mainbocher featured in AmericanVogue, Sep-
tember 15, 1939, is an undisputed masterpiece of
fashion photography. This haunting photograph
marked Horst’s farewell to Paris, soon to be occu-
pied by Nazi Germany. Horst said
Ileftthestudioat4:00a.m., went back to the house,
picked up my bags, and caught the 7:00a.m.train to Le
Harve to board the Normandie....For me, this photograph
is the essence of that moment. While I was taking it, I was
thinking of all that I was leaving behind.’’ Years later he
said, ‘‘We all felt that war was coming....And you knew
that whatever happened, life would be completely differ-
ent after. I had found a family in Paris, and a way of life.
Horst immigrated to the United States in 1935
and became a naturalized citizen. He continued to
photograph well into his 80s, and died Nov. 18,
1999, at his home in Florida.
DianaEdkinsSeealso:Conde ́Nast; Fashion Photography; His-
tory of Photography: Interwar Years; Hoyningen-
Huene, George; Photography in France
Biography
Horst P. Horst was born Horst Bohrmann August 14, 1906,
in Weissenfels-an-der-Saale in Germany. He was the son
of a Garman hardware-store owner. After his education
at the Schulpforta, followed by a short period in Switzer-
land and Capri, he was sent by his parents to work for a
Hamburg export firm. He soon returned to study at
Hamburg’s Kunstgewerbeschule, a well-known school
of applied arts under the direction of Walter Gropius
from 1926–1928. While there he wrote to Le Corbusier
and was invited to be a student-apprentice at the archi-
tect’s atelier in Paris in the late 1920s. In Paris he met
George Hoyningen-Huene and became his photographic
model and lifelong friend. He started his career atVogue
helping out with sets at theVoguestudio in Paris. He
began taking pictures himself and continued working for
Conde ́Nast Publications in Paris as staff photographer,
1932–1935. He took over as chief photographer in
Vogue’s Paris studio when Huene left to joinHarper’s
Bazaar. Horst spent part of each year in Paris and the
remainder in New York. He made New York and Oyster
Bay his permanent residence. He specialized in fashion,
portraits, travel, and later with Valentine Lawford
houses, gardens, and lifestyle photography. Immigrated
to the United States in 1935 and was naturalized in 1942.
He served in the U.S. Army from 1942–1945 as a techni-
cal Sergeant. He remained a fashion and still life photo-
grapher for Conde ́Nast Publications well into his 80s.
Died November 18, 1999, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.Individual Exhibitions
1984 Horst and His World; International Center of Photo-
graphy, New York, New York, and traveling
1991 Horst: 60 Ans de Photographie; Muse ́e des Arts de la
Mode, Paris, France
1996 Horst; International Center of Photography, New
York, New York
2001 Horst: Portraits 60 Years of Style; National Portrait
Gallery, London, EnglandSelected Group Exhibitions
1985 Shots of Style; Victoria and Albert Museum, London,
England
1987 Fashion and Surrealism; Fashion Institute of Technol-
ogy, New York, New York
1992 On the Edge: The First One Hundred Years of Vogue;
New York Public Library, New York, New York
2002 Dressing Up: Photographs of Style and Fashion; Wor-
cester Art Museum, Worcester, Massachusetts
2003 Women; Photography Monika Mohr Galerie, Ham-
burg, Germany
2004 Photo – Icons; Arte Fino, Zurich, Switzerland
2003 Explorei icons of modern photography; HackelBury
Fine Art Limited, London, England
2003 Invito alla Fotografia; Galleria Carla Sozzani
2004 Platinum; Galleria abOrigena, Milan, Italy
2004 Das Wunder Mensch/Parameter of Life; Museum
Moderner Kunst, Passau, PolandSelected Works
Greek Statute,Paris, 1932
Noel Coward,Paris, 1934
George Hoyningen-Huene,Paris, 1934
Fashions: Hat, Talbot; Suit, Robert Piguet,Paris, 1936
Coco Chanel,Paris, 1937
Serge Lifar and Olga Spessivtzeva in Bacchus,Paris
Duchess of Windsor,Paris, 1937
Lisa Fonssagrives in forehead corsage,Lanvin, 1938
Lisa Fonssagrives signing ‘‘I love you’’ in black felt tricorn
Balenciaga hat and Boucheron gloves,Paris,August1,1938
Electric Beauty,Paris, 1939HORST, HORST P.