edward steichen in high fashion the conde nast years 1923 1937
edward steichen was already a famous painter and photographer in america and abroad when in early 1923 he was offered the most prestigious position in photographys commercial domain that of chief photographer for vogue and vanity fair . over the next fifteen years steichen would produce a body of work of unequaled brilliance dramatizing and glamorizing contemporary culture and its achievers in politics literature film sport dance theater opera and the world of high fashion . here are iconic images of gloria swanson gary cooper greta garbo and charlie chaplin as well as numerous other celebrities drawn from an archive of more than two thousand original prints . until now no more than a handful have been exhibited or published in book form . the photographs of the 1920s and 1930s represent the high point in steichens career and are among the most striking creations of twentieth century photography .