Considered one of America’s greatest fashion photographers, Louise Dahl-Wolfe was respected for her extensive knowledge of colour and lighting techniques. She transformed and modernized the images published in women’s magazines in the 1930s, 40s and 50s, when she was active, and thus contributed to giving a new look to the world of fashion. She also invigorated the portraits of Hollywood stars and competed with the most prestigious photographers of her time, such as Edward Steichen, Horst P. Horst, George Hoyningen-Huene, Irving Penn and Martin Munkácsi, and influenced others who would later become world famous, such as Richard Avedon.

This book, which covers the period of her career as a fashion photographer, contains a significant selection of the photographs she took for Harper`s Bazaar, where she worked for two decades. It also includes her portraits and nudes, a lesser-known facet of the artist. Together, these photographs show the changes that took place in both society and lifestyle in the troubled mid-20^th century.