George Hurrell Silver Gelatin Photograph of Katharine Hepburn

Item Details

George Edward Hurrell (American, 1904 – 1992)
Untitled
Silver Gelatin
Signed to the lower right
Numbered 137/250
Celebrity, Katharine Hepburn

Born in the Walnut Hills neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio, George Hurrell’s artistic interests began in painting, using photography only as a means of reference for his paintings. He attended the Art Institute of Chicago, and moved to Laguna Beach in 1925 to immerse himself in the art scene and culture. There, he met the formidable Edward Steichen, who encouraged him to pursue photography after seeing his photos. Throughout his successful career in Hollywood, Hurrell photographed the portraits of every celebrity contracted with MGM studios, including Jean Harlow, Joan Crawford, Ramon Novarro, Clark Gable, and Norma Shearer, among countless others. When the demand for his glamour aesthetic died down in Hollywood, he moved to New York, where he continued work for fashion magazines and shot album covers for clients that included Tom Waits, Cass Elliot, Paul McCartney, Queen, and Fleetwood Mac. Hurrell’s works are included in the collections of Laguna Art Museum and University of Wyoming Art Museum.

• Item not examined outside of mounting

Condition

- ripple and toning to paper; minor tear to lower left; chips and scuffs to frame.

Dimensions

Item #

ITMGC90211