By George
by habituallychic
05 . 30 . 12
I’ve seen the photo of The Divers above dozens of times yet didn’t realize the photographer was George Hoyningen-Huene until recently. He was born in Russia in 1900 and during the Russian Revolution fled to London and later Paris. He worked as a photographer and eventually became chief of photography at French Vogue. In 1931, he met Horst who was the subject of many of his photos and who would also later become a photographer for Vogue. In 1935 he moved to New York where he worked for Harper’s Bazaar and on books before moving to Hollywood in the 1940’s.
It’s his beach photographs of bathing suits from the late 1920’s and early 1930’s that are my favorites. They are still used for inspiration for magazine shoots to this day. I especially love the fact that bathing costumes from that era are larger than some of the clothes that people wear on the street today. Those were the days.
Bathers in Lelong suits, 1929.
Horst, 1930
1930
Vogue, July 1, 1928
Horst Torso, 1931
Bathing suits by Jean Patou, 1930.
Johnny Weissmuller, 1930
Vogue, July 6, 1929
Schiaparelli bathing suit, 1929.
Vogue, July 1931
Beachwear by Schiaparelli, 1930.
Swimwear by Jean Patou, 1928.
Johnny Weissmuller
French Riviera, 1932
Beachwear by Chanel, 1933
9 Comments
What a beautiful post for the season. Thanks. Your’e right, those were the days. What do you think…laced up espadrilles on the guys in the Patou photo?
Lovely photos – I agree with you, covering more than what some people wear in the street! I love these 1930s bathing suits, very elegant! thanks for sharing Sharon.
That first image is one of my favourite photos, ever.
Have you ever seen any of the iconic images that Max Dupain took from the 20’s & 30’s in Australia. One of his “The Sunbather” is pretty well known, but his other of surf lifesavers and of the beaches around Sydney are pretty amazing. If you google images, you’ll see what I mean!
Fabulous images. I am not familiar with this photographer, but I love this genre of black and white fashion photography. I own a Horst photograph and I never tire of its drama.
Best…Victoria
Gorgeous post…and I remember a very old Brownie Box snapshot of my dad in those belted trunks!!!
Great great post. I really enjoyed those vintage photographs!
Heather great photography of this era of swim attire.(Is anyone modest these days?!)
That first image is perfection!
xoxo
Karena
Art by Karena
The Beachwear by Chanel image–so languidly gorgeous. Mary