Description:

Philippe Halsman
n.p., ca. 1954
Marilyn Monroe Jump, Original Vintage Halsman Print, with Notes in His Hand!
Photograph
An incredible vintage image of Marilyn Monroe by Philippe Halsman ca. 1954, namely one of his acclaimed images taken for LIFE Magazine showing the radiant star barefoot and mid-jump. This wonderful image measures 4" x 5.75" and was included in the textbooks for the courses that Halsman, and other acclaimed photographers, taught at the Famous Photographers School in the 1960s.

Making this image even more special is that we believe Halsman has penned details in his own hand on the verso, based on our analysis of his hand and signature. Regardless, these detailed notes provide inside information about the production techniques Halsman used in creating the image, such as type of camera, lens, type of film, lighting, as well as the client LIFE. Also noted in another hand is that this photograph was included in lesson 3 for the course. Very light wrinkling and in very good condition.

According to Magnum Photos: "…Fascinated by jumping since his childhood, Halsman was both a prolific and skilled jumper until a cracked iliac prevented him from engaging in the activity. His incorporation of jumping into his photographic practice began during a shoot of the Ford family to celebrate the company's fiftieth birthday."

Halsman himself wrote of photographing subjects mid-jump: "In a jump, the subject, in a sudden burst of energy, overcomes gravity. He cannot simultaneously control his expressions, his facial and his limb muscles. The mask falls. The real self becomes visible. One has only to snap it with the camera…".

Philippe Halsman (1906-1979) was a Latvian-born Jewish photographer who was one of the countless great artists who emigrated to the United States in 1940, with the help of Albert Einstein. For the next 30 years he produced some of the most memorable photographs of the 20th century, including 101 covers for LIFE magazine. He also enjoyed a 37-year collaboration with Surrealist artist Salvador Dali. In the early 1950s, Halsman began to ask his subjects to jump for his camera at the conclusion of each sitting - the most famous of which may be Marilyn Monroe. These uniquely witty and energetic images have become an important part of his photographic legacy.

This photograph comes directly from the archive of the Famous Photographers School, founded in 1961 and directed by renowned photographer Victor Keppler. It gathered as faculty the ten most famous American photographers of its time: Richard Avedon, Irving Penn, Alfred Eisenstadt, Bert Stern, Richard Beattie, Philippe Halsman, Joseph Costa, Ezra Stoller, Harry Garfield, Arthur d'Arazien, and others. Margaret Bourke-White served as faculty advisor.

Each photographer created works exclusively for the school textbooks, as well as illustrating the lessons with some of their most famous photographs. Most of the prints we offer here are stamped with page numbers corresponding to their placement in the books. Some even include detailed handwritten notations giving details on techniques. These prints were kept in file drawers following the dissolution of the school in the mid-seventies.

The images we offer here come directly from the photographers' studios. These works are the actual prints used to create iconic images featured in issues of LIFE, Time, Vogue, and so many other publications, and created long before limited-edition portfolios with signed examples of the photographers' works were offered widely. The Famous Photographers School Archive was purchased by a Connecticut photography expert. While much of it was then acquired by the Yale University Art Gallery in 2016, the original purchaser retained a small collection, which are now offered by University Archives.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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  • Dimensions: 4" x 5.75"
  • Medium: Photograph

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