1950s Black and White Photography

Cool Capucine 1955 (printed later) Fiber print Estate stamped and hand numbered edition of 150 with certificate of authenticity from the estate. circa 1955: French actress Capuci...

Slim Aarons Gretchen Van de Kamp Ward In Gustave Tassell 1960 (printed later) Silver gelatin print estate signature stamped edition of 150 with certificate of authenticity Model Gr...

Royal Waltz 1955 (printed later) Fiber print Estate stamped and hand numbered edition of 150 with certificate of authenticity from the estate. circa 19...

Patsy Pulitzer rummaging in her bag on the seat of an open car Palm Beach, Florida, 1955. Estate stamped and hand numbered edition of 150 with certificate of authenticity from the e...

Slim Aarons Inga Lindgren And Poodles 1956 (printed later) Silver gelatin print estate signature stamped edition of 150 with certificate of authenticity Swedish model Inga Lindgren...

1952: Orson Welles (1915 - 1985) in Venice during a break from filming 'Othello' which he directed and starred in. Slim Aarons (1916-2006) worked mainly for society publications ph...

Jamaica Sea Sailing, 1953 Fiber print Estate edition of 150 Signature stamped and hand numbered with Certificate of authenticity 1953: Two men sailing their yacht 'Eel II' in Jamaic...

Capucine 1957 Fiber print 30 x 20 inches Estate stamped and hand numbered edition of 150 with certificate of authenticity from the estate. Slim Aarons (1916-2006) worked mainly f...

Fashion model Liz Pringle drinking from a coconut at the Round Hill resort, Montego Bay, Jamaica, 1953. photo by Slim Aarons Slim Aarons silver gelatine fibre based print Printed...

"The Unmade Bed" is a photograph by Imogen Cunningham. The photograph is signed in pencil, lower right, "Imogen Cunningham, 1957". The framed piece measure...

Slim Aarons Safari Party at Romanoff's, 1950 Chromogenic Lambda print Estate stamped and hand numbered edition of 150 with certificate of authenticity from the estate. Guests at a ...

Audrey Hepburn, r8_10 -- Informal portrait of Audrey Hepburn. This image is an out take from the photo shoot for the December 7, 1953 issue of Life magazine. Image size is 22" x 22" (for 24" x 36" paper size). All Mark Shaw prints are made to order in limited editions on Hahnemuhle photo rag paper. Each print is Estate stamped on the back and signed and numbered by David Shaw, and accompanied by a letter of authenticity. Lead time is four to six weeks, but we often receive them sooner. *Please note this image is available in several sizes. Prices increase as editions sell out. A black and white photograph of Audrey Hepburn sitting and reading...

Royal Waltz 1955 silver gelatin print estate signature stamped edition of 150 with certificate of authenticity circa 1955: In the forefront the Duke and D...

Slim Aarons The Windsors, 1953 Fiber print The Duke (1894 - 1972) and Duchess of Windsor (1896 - 1986) dancing at the Waldorf Astoria, Park Avenue, New York. Slim Aarons (1916-200...

A young woman modelling an outfit for a Saks Fifth Avenue catalog shoot, circa 1955. photo by Slim Aarons Slim Aarons silver gelatine fibre based print Printed Later Slim Aarons...

A unique original silver gelatin black and white photograph. A view of Paris and the River Seine from the Notre Dame Cathedral, circa 1950. Features: Original Silver Gelatin Print Ph...

Venetian Play, 1952 Silver gelatin print Estate edition of 150 Signature stamped and hand numbered with Certificate of authenticity 1952: Orson Welles (1915 - 1985) directing Othell...

Jamaica Sea Sailing, 1953 Fiber print Estate edition of 150 Signature stamped and hand numbered with Certificate of authenticity 1953: Two men sailing their yacht 'Eel II' in Jamaic...

Slim Aarons Patsy Pulitzer, Private Transport 1955 C print Estate stamped and hand numbered edition of 150 with certificate of authenticity from the estate. Patsy Pulitzer rummag...

Jamaica Sea Sailing, 1953 Fiber print Estate edition of 150 Signature stamped and hand numbered with Certificate of authenticity 1953: Two men sailing their yacht 'Eel II' in Jamaic...

Coco Lies on Divan, 1957 -- This photo, published in LIFE in 1957, shows Coco Chanel, aged 74, at her apartment on the Rue Cambon in Paris reclining on her massive divan. In notes ta...

Slim Aarons Gretchen Van de Kamp Ward In Gustave Tassell 1960 (printed later) Silver gelatin print estate signature stamped edition of 150 with certificate of authenticity Model Gr...

Audrey Hepburn, r15_9 -- Audrey Hepburn at home. This image is an out take from the photo shoot for the cover of the April 19, 1954 international issue of Life magazine. Image size i...

Private Transport 1954 by Slim Aarons Slim Aarons Limited Estate Edition Gladys ‘Patsy’ Bartlett (1928 – 2011, née Pulitzer, later Pulitzer Preston) rummaging in her bag on the se...

1952: Orson Welles (1915 - 1985) in Venice during a break from filming 'Othello' which he directed and starred in. Slim Aarons (1916-2006) worked mainly for society publications ph...

Jackie and Caroline, Book Cover -- Jackie and Caroline on the beach in Hyannis Port, 1959. This photo was used as the cover of Mark Shaw's famous book, the John F. Kennedys, which wa...

Soho Waiters Race, 1955 Waiters carrying half bottles of champagne set off on the annual waiters' race from Soho Square to Greek Street, in London's Soho, 1955 Estate stamped and...

Slim Aarons Ready To Roll, John Ford in Hawaii, 1955 Silver gelatin print 16 x 20 inches Estate stamped and hand numbered edition of 150 with certificate of authenticity from the est...

Jamaica Sea Sailing, 1953 Fiber print Estate edition of 150 Signature stamped and hand numbered with Certificate of authenticity 1953: Two men sailing their yacht 'Eel II' in Jamaic...

9 x 12 3/4 inches

Audrey Hepburn Turns, audrey_07 -- Photographed by Mark Shaw in 1953, this image is an outtake from the photo essay on Audrey Hepburn for the December 1953 issue of LIFE. Image size ...

An original silver gelatin black and white photograph by Graphic House Inc, New York, and Atlantic Press, Paris. A busy diner in New York, circa 1950. Features: Original silver gelat...

Argentinian race car driver Juan Fangio (1911 - 1995) in his Mercedes at Le Mans, June 1955. The race saw the death of Mercedes team mate Pierre Levegh and 80 spectators. Original Pu...

Dior, Palais de Glace Dress, 1957. Image size is 13.75" x 20" (for 17" x 22" paper size). All Mark Shaw prints are made to order in limited editions on Hahnemuhle photo rag paper. Ea...

Audrey Hepburn, c23_14 -- Audrey Hepburn was photographed for LIFE magazine in 1953. The photo essay shows images from a regular day on the set. "…Not because there is anything so re...

JBK Leads Horse nb_064_065 -- Shot for LIFE in 1959, Jackie Kennedy leads Sagebrush across a meadow at Merrywood, her mother's Virginia Estate. This image is also part of the Mark Shaw Photographic Archive's fine art gallery collection. Image size is 13.75" x 20" (for 17" x 22" paper size). All Mark Shaw prints are made to order in limited editions on Hahnemuhle photo rag paper. Each print is Estate stamped on the back and signed and numbered by David Shaw, and accompanied by a letter of authenticity. Lead time is four to six weeks, but we often receive them sooner. *Please note this image is available in several sizes. Prices increase as editions sell out. A black and white photo of Jackie Kennedy...

Audrey, r34_2 -- Audrey Hepburn in the studio village for Paramount's Sabrina Fair. Photographed for the December 7, 1953 issue of Life. Image size is 22" x 22" (for 24" x 36" paper ...

Audrey Hepburn White Shirt Portrait, r24_3 -- Informal portrait of Audrey Hepburn. Out take from the cover shoot for the April 19, 1954 international issue of Life. Image size is 22"...

Capucine, 1957 Fiber print 30 x 20 inches Estate stamped and hand numbered edition of 150 with certificate of authenticity from the estate. Slim Aarons (1916-2006) worked mainl...

"Big Ben From The South Bank" by Nat Norman A woman looking across the Thames towards the Palace of Westminster, London, circa 1955. Unframed Paper Size: 16"x 12'' (inches) Printe...

Vanity Fair Sheer Gown Icon, Circa 1955 -- One of Mark Shaw’s favorite photographs, this Vanity Fair slip was photographed by Mark Shaw for an award w...

"Lipstick Check" by Thurston Hopkins 7th November 1953: A contestant in a 'Miss World' beauty competition sponsored by Mecca Dancing applying her lipstick using a shiny car as a mirror. Original Publication: Picture Post - 6785 - The Beauty Contest...

Jamaica Sea Sailing, 1953 Fiber print Estate edition of 150 Signature stamped and hand numbered with Certificate of authenticity 1953: Two men sailing their yacht 'Eel II' in Jamaic...

Slim Aarons Patsy Pulitzer, Private Transport 1955 C print Estate stamped and hand numbered edition of 150 with certificate of authenticity from the estate. Patsy Pulitzer rummag...

Chanel Visits with Jeanne Moreau, 1957 -- Chanel visits with the famous French film actress, Jeanne Moreau. Mark Shaw's informal, grainy, black and white images of Coco Chanel were c...

Ernest Hemingway - Vintage Photograph is an original black and white photograph realized in 1950s. Good conditions. A historical moment of the past through the art of photography ...

"Mercedes Inspection" by Joseph McKeown 4th July 1954: Mechanics examine Juan Manuel Fangio's W196 Mercedes Benz in the pits at the French Grand Prix in Reim...

"Street Games" by Thurston Hopkins A young child wearing an Indian headdress hides in a coal hole as he takes aim under the watchful eye of a friend....

Michael Mardikes Benton walking dog (Thomas Hart Benton Plate #6) Year: 1956, 2021 Pigment Ink on Archival Paper Photograph Image Size: 19x13.5 in Paper Size: 22x17 in Edition: Unique Monogrammed by hand Label signed and numbered by Estate Representative COA provided by Authorizing Body Additional COA provided by representing Gallery Ref.: 924802-908 Image included in the exhibition An Artist at Home in America: Michael Mardikes’ Photographs of Thomas Hart Benton at the Kansas City Public Library (November 20, 2021-May 15, 2022) One night in late 2020, as Nick Vedros was leaving the home of his Aunt Myrt and Uncle Michael Mardikes, his aunt suddenly asked him, “What are we going to do with all the negatives?” The noted Kansas City photographer was not sure what his 89-year-old aunt was talking about, until she handed him a notebook filled with more than 1000 negatives chronicling Thomas Hart Benton at home and in his studio. They had been filed away for almost seven decades. This startling discovery was the inspiration for the exhibition, “An Artist at Home in America: Michael Mardikes’ Photographs of Thomas Hart Benton” on view at the Kansas City Public Library Central Library. The exhibition is a must-see, not just for fans of Thomas Hart Benton but for devotees of exemplary photojournalism. Of the 1,080 photographs Mardikes took, only four had been published in an article he wrote for “This Month in Kansas City” magazine in 1966. The others were never printed, nor was their existence common knowledge. Although Vedros had been aware of his uncle’s assignment with Benton, he was stunned to discover that so much additional material existed. Vedros, who decided at age 12 to become a photographer himself after seeing his uncle’s work, was determined to organize an exhibition, and was especially interested in doing it as quickly as possible given his uncle’s advanced age and increasing frailty. Collaborating with Dan White, a photographer, master printer and friend since their time together at the University of Missouri journalism school, they selected 34 images to be printed and framed, researching the details with Steve Sitton, the director of the Thomas Hart Benton Home and Studio Historic Site. Michael Mardikes had had a brief career as a commercial photographer before going on to work in management at the Ford Motor Company and later at UMKC. He made the acquaintance of Benton through Eugene Pyle, a former student of Benton’s and Mardikes’ photography instructor at the Art Institute. In 1955, Benton asked Mardikes to photograph him; Mardikes visited Benton 35 to 40 times, over a period of a few months in late 1955 and early 1956. Sitton told Vedros that not only was Mardikes’ amount of access incredible, but that the resulting body of work was unmatched. As the project progressed, Benton became focused on a mural commission for the River Club in 1956. Henry Adams, preeminent Benton scholar and former curator at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, provided some context for this particular work: “The commission to paint ‘Traders at Westport Landing’ came at a low point in Benton’s career, 1956, and initiated the late phase of Benton’s mural paintings. It was the first of a series of murals depicting the exploration and settlement of the west, which culminated in the Truman Library mural, which was completed in 1962. All these murals feature trading and friendly contact with the Indians, rather than conflict, and are arresting in their bright color and meticulous rendering of carefully researched detail. The River Club, which commissioned ‘Traders at Westport Landing,’ overlooks the Missouri River and has a panoramic view very similar to the one in Benton’s painting.” This group of black and white photos not only documents the artist’s working process but also reveals other aspects of his daily life: one memorable image reveals Rita Benton massaging her husband’s stiff shoulders after a long day in his studio. Other images show members of the River Club board visiting Benton’s studio to check on the progress of the mural. One charming image captures a candid moment of Rita Benton and Myrt Mardikes as they collaborated in the Benton kitchen making chicken kapama for their husbands. Nan Chisholm Nan Chisholm is an art consultant and appraiser of 19th- and 20th-century paintings. After a long association with Sotheby’s, she founded her own business in 2003. She has appeared as a fine art appraiser...

Ernest Hemingway - Vintage Photograph is an original black and white photograph realized in the 1950s. Good conditions. A historical moment of the past through the art of photogra...

Michael Mardikes Overall with Paintings (Thomas Hart Benton Plate #24) Year: 1956, 2021 Pigment Ink on Archival Paper Photograph Size: 19x13.5 in Paper Size: 22x17 in Edition: 2 Sign...

Michael Mardikes Behind Smoke (Thomas Hart Benton Plate #29) Year: 1956, 2021 Archival Pigment Print on Premium Rag Image Size: 13.5x19 in Paper Size: 17x22 in Edition: 7 Monogrammed...

"Star Trio" by Darlene Hammond 1953: Married American actors Lauren Bacall (L) and Humphrey Bogart (1899 - 1957) pose with American actor Marilyn Monroe (1926 - 1962) at the premier...

Michael Mardikes River Club Unveiling Event (Thomas Hart Benton Plate #31) Year: 1956, 2021 Pigment Ink on Archival Paper Photograph Image Size: 13.5x19 in Paper Size: 17x22 in Editi...

"Chihuahuas" by Keystone A small dog's eye-view of two chihuahuas and their owners waiting for judges at Cruft's all-champion dog show. Unframed Paper Size: 20" x 24'' (inches) Pri...

"Lipstick Check" by Thurston Hopkins 7th November 1953: A contestant in a 'Miss World' beauty competition sponsored by Mecca Dancing applying her lipstick using a shiny car as a mirror. Original Publication: Picture Post - 6785 - The Beauty Contest...

Michael Mardikes Color Test (Thomas Hart Benton Plate #3) Year: 1956, 2021 Pigment Ink on Archival Paper Photograph Image Size: 9x12 in Paper Size: 11x14 in...

Michael Mardikes Boy with Mirror (Thomas Hart Benton Plate #26) Year: 1956, 2021 Pigment Ink on Archival Paper Photograph Image Size: 19x13.5 in Paper Size: 22x17 in Edition: Unique Monogrammed by hand Label signed and numbered by Estate Representative COA provided by Authorizing Body Additional COA provided by representing Gallery Ref.: 924802-909 Image included in the exhibition An Artist at Home in America: Michael Mardikes’ Photographs of Thomas Hart Benton at the Kansas City Public Library (November 20, 2021-May 15, 2022) One night in late 2020, as Nick Vedros was leaving the home of his Aunt Myrt and Uncle Michael Mardikes, his aunt suddenly asked him, “What are we going to do with all the negatives?” The noted Kansas City photographer was not sure what his 89-year-old aunt was talking about, until she handed him a notebook filled with more than 1000 negatives chronicling Thomas Hart Benton at home and in his studio. They had been filed away for almost seven decades. This startling discovery was the inspiration for the exhibition, “An Artist at Home in America: Michael Mardikes’ Photographs of Thomas Hart Benton” on view at the Kansas City Public Library Central Library. The exhibition is a must-see, not just for fans of Thomas Hart Benton but for devotees of exemplary photojournalism. Of the 1,080 photographs Mardikes took, only four had been published in an article he wrote for “This Month in Kansas City” magazine in 1966. The others were never printed, nor was their existence common knowledge. Although Vedros had been aware of his uncle’s assignment with Benton, he was stunned to discover that so much additional material existed. Vedros, who decided at age 12 to become a photographer himself after seeing his uncle’s work, was determined to organize an exhibition, and was especially interested in doing it as quickly as possible given his uncle’s advanced age and increasing frailty. Collaborating with Dan White, a photographer, master printer and friend since their time together at the University of Missouri journalism school, they selected 34 images to be printed and framed, researching the details with Steve Sitton, the director of the Thomas Hart Benton Home and Studio Historic Site. Michael Mardikes had had a brief career as a commercial photographer before going on to work in management at the Ford Motor Company and later at UMKC. He made the acquaintance of Benton through Eugene Pyle, a former student of Benton’s and Mardikes’ photography instructor at the Art Institute. In 1955, Benton asked Mardikes to photograph him; Mardikes visited Benton 35 to 40 times, over a period of a few months in late 1955 and early 1956. Sitton told Vedros that not only was Mardikes’ amount of access incredible, but that the resulting body of work was unmatched. As the project progressed, Benton became focused on a mural commission for the River Club in 1956. Henry Adams, preeminent Benton scholar and former curator at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, provided some context for this particular work: “The commission to paint ‘Traders at Westport Landing’ came at a low point in Benton’s career, 1956, and initiated the late phase of Benton’s mural paintings. It was the first of a series of murals depicting the exploration and settlement of the west, which culminated in the Truman Library mural, which was completed in 1962. All these murals feature trading and friendly contact with the Indians, rather than conflict, and are arresting in their bright color and meticulous rendering of carefully researched detail. The River Club, which commissioned ‘Traders at Westport Landing,’ overlooks the Missouri River and has a panoramic view very similar to the one in Benton’s painting.” This group of black and white photos not only documents the artist’s working process but also reveals other aspects of his daily life: one memorable image reveals Rita Benton massaging her husband’s stiff shoulders after a long day in his studio. Other images show members of the River Club board visiting Benton’s studio to check on the progress of the mural. One charming image captures a candid moment of Rita Benton and Myrt Mardikes as they collaborated in the Benton kitchen making chicken kapama for their husbands. Nan Chisholm Nan Chisholm is an art consultant and appraiser of 19th- and 20th-century paintings. After a long association with Sotheby’s, she founded her own business in 2003. She has appeared as a fine art appraiser...