Iconic photographer Harry Benson has captured some of the most pivotal moments in modern history. Always in the right place at the right time, Benson used his camera lens to give the world a glimpse into events that rocked the globe. His black and white and color photographs include shots of celebrities, politicians, royalty, political upheavals and social revolutions. His contributions to photography are widely celebrated and recognized.
One of the first highlights of Benson's career was touring with the Beatles in February of 1964. While at the Hotel George V in Paris, he snapped the famous images of the band having a playful pillow fight. Benson stayed in America after the Beatles' first visit to the States and started working for Life in 1968. He was under contract with the magazine from 1970 to 2000.
Benson was on assignment for Life during the 1968 assassination of Robert Kennedy — just steps behind the senator when it occurred. After the shot rang out, Benson told himself, "this is for history, pull yourself together, fail tomorrow, not today," and documented the moment that Kennedy lay on the floor.
In 1989, Benson photographed the student protests in Tiananmen Square and the fall of the Berlin Wall. He was with President Clinton on his historic visit to Kosovo in 1999 and captured New York City in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Benson has also photographed every president since Eisenhower and taken numerous images of Queen Elizabeth II.
Over the course of his long career, Benson's photographs have appeared in Town & Country, Vanity Fair, Time, GQ, Newsweek, Vice, Architectural Digest and more. His works are held in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery and the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.
Benson has earned extensive accolades for his work in photography. The National Press Photographers Association twice named him “Magazine Photographer of the Year.” He has also received several lifetime achievement awards, an Honorary Doctor of Letters from Glasgow University and The University of St. Andrews, and an Honorary Fellowship from the Royal Photographic Society.
On 1stDibs, find a collection of authentic Harry Benson photography.
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Arnold Palmer, 1974
By Harry Benson
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Gelatin silver print Image 15-1/2" x 23", Paper 20" x 24", Matted 24" x 30" Edition 10 of 35
Silver Gelatin
Price Upon Request
Greta Garbo, Antigua, 1976
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Silver Gelatin
Price Upon Request
Henri Langlois, Robert Guerra, and Eila Hershon
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Silver Gelatin
Julian Schnabel in his studio, Palazzo Chupi, New York, 2011
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Harry Benson photographed artist Julian Schnabel at his famed home and studio Palazzo Chupi in the West Village for his book New York, New York (published in 2014). As Benson noted,...
Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
Celtics vs. Rangers, Glasgow, Scotland
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer. Additional sizes may be available upon request.
Photographic Paper, Archival Pigment
Float Like A Butterfly, Sting Like A Bee: Muhammad Ali, Miami
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer. Additional sizes may be available upon request.
Photographic Paper, Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
Givenchy, Paris
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer. Larger sizes also available.
Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
Charlotte Ronson, New York
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer. Larger sizes also available.
Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
Pierre Cardin, Paris
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer. Larger sizes also available.
Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
Diane von Furstenberg
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer. Larger sizes also available.
Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
André Courrèges with Models, Paris
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer. Larger sizes also available.
Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
Yves St. Laurent with Models, Paris
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer. Larger sizes also available.
Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
Yves St. Laurent and Lulu de la Falaise, Paris
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer. Larger sizes also available.
Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
Yves St. Laurent and Kirat Young
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer. Larger sizes also available.
Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
Yves St. Laurent with Kate Moss and Models, Paris
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer. Larger sizes also available.
Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
Christian Lacroix with Models, New York
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer. Larger sizes also available.
Archival Pigment
Anna Wintour, Andre Leon Talley, and Patrick McCarthy, Paris
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer. Larger sizes also available.
Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
Katharine Graham and Truman Capote, “Black & White” Ball, New York
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer. Larger sizes also available.
Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
Karl Lagerfeld and Liz Tilberis, Paris
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer. Larger sizes also available.
Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
John Fairchild, New York
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer. Larger sizes also available.
Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
Anna Wintour, Paris
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer. Larger sizes also available.
Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
Diana Vreeland, New York
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer. Larger sizes also available.
Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
Mortimer’s, New York
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer. Larger sizes also available.
Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
Marisa Berenson and Swifty Lazar, New York
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer. Larger sizes also available.
Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
Calvin Klein with models, New York
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Calvin Klein with Shaun Casey, Patti Hansen, Lisa Taylor, and Janice Dickinson, New York, 1978 Signed by the photographer. Larger sizes also available.
Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
Calvin Klein with Barbara Allen, Beverly Johnson, and Chris O’Connor
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer. Larger sizes also available.
Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
Ralph Lauren, New York
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer. Larger sizes also available.
Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
Ralph Lauren Backstage, New York
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer. Larger sizes also available.
Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
Ralph Lauren on Runway, New York
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer. Larger sizes also available.
Archival Pigment
Ralph Lauren, Double RL Ranch, San Juan Mountains, Colorado
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer. Larger sizes also available.
Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
Ralph Lauren, New York
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer. Larger sizes also available.
Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
Donna Karan and Louis Dell’Olio for Anne Klein
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer. Larger sizes also available.
Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
Donna Karan, Wall Street
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer. Larger sizes also available.
Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
Donna Karan for Anne Klein
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer. Larger sizes also available.
Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
Donna Karan and Louis Dell’Olio for Anne Klein
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer. Larger sizes also available.
Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
Donna Karan and Stephan Weiss, New York
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer. Larger sizes also available.
Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
Donna Karan and Louis Dell’Olio for Anne Klein
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer. Larger sizes also available.
Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
James Galanos, Los Angeles
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer. Larger sizes also available.
Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
James Galanos, Los Angeles
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer. Larger sizes also available.
Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
Geoffrey Beene, New York
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer. Larger sizes also available.
Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
Geoffrey Beene, New York
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer. Larger sizes also available.
Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
Geoffrey Beene, New York
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer. Larger sizes also available.
Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
Halston with models, New York
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Halston with models Alva Chinn, Chris Royer, Karen Bjornsen, Nancy North, Carla Araque, Pat Cleveland, and Shirley Ferro, New York, 1977. Signed by the...
Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
Halston and friends at Studio 54, New York
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer.
Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
Oscar de la Renta, New York
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer. Larger sizes also available.
Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
Iman in Oscar de la Renta, New York
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer. Larger sizes also available.
Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
Bill Blass with Josie Borain, New York
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer. Larger sizes also available.
Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
Bill Blass, New York
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer. Larger sizes also available.
Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
Emanuel Ungaro with Models, Paris
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer. Larger sizes also available.
Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
Madame Grès with Models, Paris
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer
Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
Cassius Clay and the Beatles, Miami, Black and White Photography, Fine Art Print
By Harry Benson
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Limited edition of fine art archival pigment prints, fiber-based Edition of 35 Numbered and signed by Harry Benson Glasgow-born Harry Benson has photographed every US President ...
Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
Alexander and Tatiana Liberman
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer.
Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
Brice Marden
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer.
Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
Jerry Hall (x 9), New York
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Signed by the photographer. Please inquire for additional sizes.
Archival Pigment
Helen Gurley Brown and her husband David in doorway, New York
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
This print is signed by the photographer and is in an edition of 35. Please inquire for additional sizes.
Silver Gelatin
Price Upon Request
Maurice Sendak
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Maurice Sendak, 1970
Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
Muhammad Ali: Float like a Butterfly, Miami, 1964
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Muhammad Ali: Float like a Butterfly, Miami, 1964
Archival Pigment
Price Upon Request
Beatlemania, 1964
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Beatlemania, 1964
Price Upon Request
Andy Warhol at The Factory, New York, 1977
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Andy Warhol at The Factory, New York, 1977
Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) and Sonny Liston, Miami, 1964
By Harry Benson
Located in New York, NY
Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) and Sunny Liston, Miami, 1964
Archival Pigment