Irving Penn
Fashion Photography Icon
1917-
A BRIEF HISTORY
• Born in New Jersey, educated in public schools
then attended 4 years of art school in Philadelphia
where he studied advertising art and design
• During the summers, he was an intern for Harpers
Bazaar Magazine where he was an office boy and
sketched shoes as an apprentice artist
• When he graduated, he became art director for a
magazine and then for Saks Fifth Avenue
•He then went to work as an assistant for the art
director of Vogue
•While there he was supposed to suggest ideas for
covers for the magazine, but didn’t like what e
saw, so he picked up a camera, designed a shot,
and it was the cover that month. Thus began his
career
•Has done work for Vogue (American, British, French etc)
among other magazines and clients
•Has had work in shows at the Metropolitan Museum of
Art, Museum of Modern Art
•In 1958 was listed as one of the 10 best photographers in
the world by Popular Photography (world
magazine)
SOME OF HIS WORK