Rejecting the standard technique of capturing emotionless models, French photographer Georges Dambier captured his models in the Fifties looking ambivalent towards their clothing and the camera, instead laughing, enjoying exotic locations like Marrakesh, Corsica, Sicily, Cannes, Palma de Mallorca and riding in cars and boats. He captured the most beautiful women of his time, including Brigitte Bardot, Marie-Hélène Arnaud, Dorian Leigh and Suzy Parker.
Born in 1925 in Paris, Georges Dambier was one of the most important photographers of his era, a contemporary of Helmut Newton, Irving Penn and Richard Avedon. He first went to work for famous artist Paul Colin. Colin was responsible for introducing his budding young apprentice to the world of fashion, interiors, antiques and, most of all, to beautiful Parisian women. Then Georges landed a job as assistant to Willy Rizzo, a famous portraitist photographer (Harcourt’s Studio, Paris Match). There, he discovered photography and was taught the fundamentals of this art, especially lighting.
The pictures of Georges Dambier speak to us about style, spontaneity, class and elegance, although they took live in the ‘50s.
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