UK's first Eve Arnold retrospective in ten years at Petworth gallery

Marilyn Monroe resting between takes during a photographic studio session in Hollywood, for the making of the film The Misfits, 1960. © Eve Arnold Estate

Spokeswoman Raquel Fonseca said: “While some of her most-known portraits are those of famous figures including Marilyn Monroe, Arnold played a pivotal role in bringing undocumented subjects to the public eye. She captured the civil rights movement in America during the 1960s and photographed women and children from all walks of life throughout her career, from a female bartender on strike to models preparing for the fashion shows held every Sunday in Harlem in the 1950s.

“The exhibition To Know About Women: The Photography of Eve Arnold will explore themes of social injustice, civil rights, religion, power, fame, sexuality and birth.

“Over 90 black-and-white and colour photographs will be on display, including Eve Arnold’s career-defining documentary of the fashion shows held in Harlem in the 1950s. Rarely seen photos from this body of work will be exhibited for the first time in 70 years at Newlands House.

“Born in Philadelphia in 1912, Arnold became one of the most revered photojournalists and was entrusted as the go-to portraitist for some of the world’s most famous figures, including Marlene Dietrich, Sophia Loren, Elizabeth Taylor, Jackie Kennedy and Queen Elizabeth II. Headhunted by Magnum in 1951, Arnold became Marilyn Monroe’s photographer of choice for over a decade. She photographed Monroe extensively on the set of The Misfits as well as in more mundane, everyday settings chosen by Arnold herself.

“In 1950, having spent several years working at a Kodak processing factory in New Jersey, Arnold developed an interest in photography. Encouraged by her nanny, she signed up to a six-week photography course in Manhattan led by Harper’s Bazaar’s influential Art Director, Alexey Brodovitch. Under his mentorship, Arnold ventured into the world of fashion and documented the shows held in Harlem every Sunday.

“Photos from this essay were published in British magazine Picture Post in the 1950s and, not long after, she became the first American female photographer to be signed by Magnum, aged 45.

“While some of her most-known portraits are those of famous figures, Arnold played a pivotal role in bringing undocumented subjects to the public eye. She captured the civil rights movement in America during the 1960s, including the Nation of Islam (NOI) rallies and meetings led by Malcom X, the American Muslim minister, human rights activist and vocal advocate for Black empowerment.

“Subjects throughout her six-decade career were diverse; from a same-sex couple wedding to migrant potato pickers on Long Island, New York and the first minutes of a baby’s life."