Slim Aarons Photography
American, 1916-2006
American photographer Slim Aarons captured the 20th century’s international jet set — U.S. socialites, European royalty, Hollywood stars — at play in sun-kissed locales like Monaco, Saint-Tropez and Palm Beach, as well as other luxurious settings around the globe.
Committed to eschewing makeup and artificial lighting, Aarons created images that are at once candid and polished, combining the relaxed posture of his subjects, who trusted him to document their lives, with the visual sharpness of a seasoned art director. Having gotten his start taking pictures for the U.S. military magazine Yank during World War II, he contributed over the course of his career to Life, Town and Country and Holiday magazines and published several books.
Aarons was born in Manhattan in 1916. He joined the army at 18, shooting military maneuvers at West Point before serving as a combat photographer, for which he was awarded a Purple Heart. After the war, he moved to California and began snapping socialites and movie stars.
In the 1950s, Aarons opened a bureau for Life magazine in Rome, where he took pictures capturing the postwar scene. He was always able to win the trust of his elite subjects, who saw him as close to a peer, rather than a paparazzo.
In a 2002 interview with The Independent, Aarons remarked, ''I knew everyone. They would invite me to one of their parties because they knew I wouldn't hurt them. I was one of them.'' This access allowed him to document the rich and famous with their guard down, reading newspapers and magazines, talking on the phone, relaxing by the pool, and chatting with friends. The 1957 photograph The Kings of Hollywood, for example, which won him wide acclaim, shows Clark Gable, Van Heflin, Gary Cooper and Jimmy Stewart laughing together as they celebrate New Year’s Eve.
Many of Aarons’s best-known images involve games and sports. In the 1972 Poolside Backgammon, two young women play the board game of the title against the backdrop of a majestic Acapulco estate. In 1958’s Cannes Watersports, a couple attempts to glide across the Golfe de la Napoule on Jet Skis, one expertly and one hanging on for dear life. And in Penthouse Pool, shot in Athens in 1961, a young woman wearing a yellow bathing cap smiles coyly at the camera, surrounded by friends and brightly colored seat cushions, with the Acropolis faintly visible in the background.
Among Aarons’s books are 1974’s A Wonderful Time: An Intimate Portrait of the Good Life, and its 2003 sequel, Once Upon a Time. His final book, A Place in the Sun, was published in 2005, one year before his death.
Find a collection of vintage Slim Aarons photography on 1stDibs.
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Artist: Slim Aarons
Slim Aarons 'Dimitris Kritsas'
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
Slim Aarons
Dimitris Kritsas with Models at Sounio
1968
C print
Estate stamped and hand numbered edition of 150 with certificate of authenticity from ...
Category
1960s Modern Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
Lambda
Slim Aarons, Surfing in Biarritz
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
Author and screenwriter Peter Viertel (1920 - 2007) with his surfboard on the beach at Biarritz, France, 1960.
Estate stamped and hand numbered edition ...
Category
1960s Modern Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
Lambda
Bermuda Beach - Limited Edition Estate Stamped Digital C-Type Photograph
By Slim Aarons
Located in Brighton, GB
Please note that as of 1st March 2025, the Slim Aarons Estate Stamped Collection aligned its pricing across the entire collection.
Please bear in mind that all prints are produced t...
Category
20th Century American Modern Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
C Print, Photographic Paper, Color, Digital
Decked in Finery - Limited Edition Estate Stamped Digital C-Type Monochrome
By Slim Aarons
Located in Brighton, GB
Please note that as of 1st March 2025, the Slim Aarons Estate Stamped Collection aligned its pricing across the entire collection.
Please bear in mind that all prints are produced t...
Category
20th Century American Modern Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
C Print, Photographic Paper, Black and White, Digital
Slim Aarons 'Private Island, Philippines' (Estate Edition)
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
Private Island, Philippines
1973
Chromogenic Lambda Print
Estate stamped and hand numbered edition of 150
with certificate of authenticity from the estate.
Guests relax on the bea...
Category
1970s Modern Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
Lambda
Slim Aarons Carlton Hotel Limited Estate Print
By Slim Aarons
Located in London, GB
'Carlton Hotel' by Slim Aarons
The entrance to the Carlton Hotel, Cannes, France, 1958.
A couple dressed elegantly in all white tennis outfits with rackets in hand, wander past the...
Category
1950s Modern Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
El Venero 1967 Slim Aarons Premium Collection Estate Stamped Edition
By Slim Aarons
Located in London, GB
El Venero 1967
El Venero, the Moorish villa of Hector and Chico de Ayala in Marbella, Spain.
60 x 40" inches / 152 x 101 cm paper size.
Estate Stamped Collection Edition to 150
...
Category
1960s Modern Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
Positano Beach, 1979 - Limited Edition Estate Stamped Digital C-Type Photograph
By Slim Aarons
Located in Brighton, GB
Please note that as of 1st March 2025, the Slim Aarons Estate Stamped Collection aligned its pricing across the entire collection.
Please bear in mind that all prints are produced t...
Category
20th Century American Modern Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
C Print, Photographic Paper, Color, Digital
Polo Match, Argentina
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
Polo Match, Argentina, 1990
Chromogenic Lambda print
A polo match in play, Argentina, December 1990.
Estate stamped and hand numbered edition of 150 with ...
Category
1990s Modern Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
Lambda
Slim Aarons, Villa Borghese Lion
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
Slim Aarons
Villa Borghese Lion, 1970
C print
Estate stamped and numbered edition of 150
with Certificate of authenticity
A young girl eating an ice ...
Category
1970s Modern Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
C Print
California Garden Party (Slim Aarons Estate Edition)
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
Slim Aarons
California Garden Party, 1975
Chromogenic lambda print
Estate Edition of 150
Fashionable guests attend a poolside luncheon at the ...
Category
1970s American Modern Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
Lambda
Slim Aarons, 'French Bath' (Slim Aarons Estate Edition)
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
Slim Aarons
Les Sophores
1977. (printed later)
C print
Estate stamped and numbered edition of 150
with Certificate of authenticity
Janine Bril in the garden of Les Sophores, her v...
Category
1960s Modern Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
C Print
Slim Aarons, Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc
1976
C print
30 x 30 inches
Estate stamped and hand numbered edition of 150 with certificate of authenticity from the estate.
Guests standing by a white Rol...
Category
1970s Modern Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
Lambda
Slim Aarons, Roca Llisa
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
Slim Aarons
Roca Llisa, 1978 (printed later)
C print
estate edition of 150
Fosca, Vera, and Fiona Bertran holidaying in Roca Llisa, on the island of Ibiza, Spain, 1978.
Estate stamp...
Category
1960s Realist Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
Lambda
Slim Aarons, Apres Ski, Gstaad (Estate Edition)
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
Apres Ski
1963 (printed later)
Chromogenic Lambda Print
Estate edition of 150
A group of women reclining on the snow in Gstaad with rugs covering their knees, 1963.
Estate stamped ...
Category
1960s Modern Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
Lambda
Slim Aarons 'Poolside Socialites' 1970 Official Limited Estate Edition
By Slim Aarons
Located in London, GB
'Poolside Socialites'
Italian artist and actress Domiziana Giordano, Italian author Francesca Sanvitale (1928 - 2011), Dino Trappetti and Umberto...
Category
1970s Modern Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
Slim Aarons 'Countess on Deck' (Aarons Estate Edition)
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
Slim Aarons
Countess Gioia Gaetani-Lovatelli
1982
C print
Estate stamped edition of 150
Countess Gioia Gaetani-Lovatelli relaxes on deck during a yachting holiday in Porto Rotondo,...
Category
1980s Modern Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
Lambda
Slim Aarons, Snowmass Village
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
Snowmass Village
1967
Chromogenic Lambda Print
Estate edition of 150
Women in colourful hats at an apres ski party in Snowmass Village, in Pitkin Cou...
Category
1960s Modern Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
Lambda
Slim Aarons 'Pool At Porto Rotondo'
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
Slim Aarons
Pool At Porto Rotondo
1982
C print
Estate stamped and hand numbered edition of 150 with certificate of authenticity from the estate.
A sw...
Category
1980s Realist Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
Lambda
Slim Aarons 'Beach Hut In Antibes'
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
Guests at a beach hut at the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes on the French Riviera, August 1969. (Photo by Slim Aarons/Getty Images)
Estate stamped and hand numbered edition of 150...
Category
1970s Modern Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
Lambda
Monaco Grand Prix (Estate Edition)
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
Racing driver Jackie Stewart makes a television broadcast at the Monaco Grand Prix, 22nd May 1977. Behind him is John Watson's 'Martini' race car.
...
Category
1970s Modern Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
Lambda
Slim Aarons 'Digging for Clams on Black Beach' (Slim Aarons Estate Edition)
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
Slim Aarons
Digging for Clams on Black Beach (Slim Aarons Estate Edition), 1960 (printed later)
Chromogenic Lambda print
Mrs Hans Estin watches her children digging for clams at low...
Category
1960s American Modern Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
Lambda
Slim Aarons, Hull Repairs in Haiti (Estate Edition)
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
Hull Repairs in Haiti, 1975
Chromogenic Lambda Print
Estate edition of 150
A rest from skiing at Cortina d'Ampezzo, March 1982.
Estate stamped and hand numbered edition of 150 with...
Category
1970s Modern Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
Lambda
Cannes Watersports, 1958 - Limited Edition Estate Stamped Digital C-Type Print
By Slim Aarons
Located in Brighton, GB
Please note that as of 1st March 2025, the Slim Aarons Estate Stamped Collection aligned its pricing across the entire collection.
Please bear in mind that all prints are produced t...
Category
20th Century American Modern Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
Photographic Paper, Color, C Print, Digital
Slim Aarons, Beach Picnic (Estate Edition)
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
Backgammon By The Pool, 1975
Chromogenic Lambda Print
Estate edition of 150
West Coast magazine publisher Jack Vietor picnicking on the rocks below his home in southern California. ...
Category
1960s Modern Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
Lambda
Slim Aarons, Crossing Snow Field
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
Slim Aarons
Crossing Snow Field, 1963
C print
Estate stamped and numbered edition of 150
with Certificate of authenticity
A line of sleighs cros...
Category
1960s Modern Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
C Print
Slim Aarons 'North Conway Sleigh
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
Slim Aarons
North Conway Sleigh
1955 (printed later)
C print
Estate stamped and numbered edition of 150
with Certificate of authenticity
1955, An open sleigh taking skiers to Cran...
Category
1950s Modern Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
C Print
Slim Aarons A Friendly Chat in the Bahamas (Slim Aarons Estate Edition)
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
Slim Aarons
A Friendly Chat in the Bahamas
1967 (printed later)
Chromogenic Lambda print
Estate stamped and hand numbered edition of 150 with certificate of authenticity from the est...
Category
1960s Modern Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
C Print
Slim Aarons, Polo Party
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
Paul Butler, patriarch of one of America's foremost polo families, with his son, daughter, grandchildren and son-in-law, Palm Beach, April 1981. Left to right: Adam Butler, Reutie Bu...
Category
1980s American Modern Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
Lambda
Slim Aarons 'Salvador Dali, ' (Slim Aarons Estate Edition)
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
Slim Aarons
Salvador Dali, 1959, Printed Later
Lambda C-print
Estate Edition of 150
circa 1959: Surrealist painter Salvador Dali (1904 - 1989) with a red-haired woman at a ball in N...
Category
1960s Modern Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
Lambda
Slim Aarons, Skiing at Sugarbush
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
Slim Aarons
Skiing at Sugarbush, 1960.
C print
estate edition of 150
Skiing at Sugarbush, a mountain resort in Vermont, April 1960.
Estate stamped and hand numbered edition of 150...
Category
1960s Realist Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
Lambda
Slim Aarons, On The Slopes Of Sugarbush (Aarons Estate Edition)
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
On The Slopes Of Sugarbush, 1960
Chromogenic Lambda Print
Estate edition of 150
Three skiers inspecting their skis on the slopes of the Sugarbush Mountain ski resort in Warren, Verm...
Category
1960s Modern Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
Lambda
Il Pellicano Pool - Limited Edition Estate Stamped Digital C-Type Print
By Slim Aarons
Located in Brighton, GB
Please note that as of 1st March 2025, the Slim Aarons Estate Stamped Collection aligned its pricing across the entire collection.
Please bear in mind that all prints are produced t...
Category
20th Century Modern Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
C Print, Photographic Paper, Color, Digital
Slim Aarons, Coral Beach, Bermuda
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
Slim Aarons
Coral Beach, Bermuda, 1977.
C print
estate edition of 150
A view of Coral Beach, Bermuda, 1977.
Estate stamped and hand numbered edition of 150 with certificate of aut...
Category
1960s Realist Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
Lambda
Surfing in Biarritz
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
Author and screenwriter Peter Viertel (1920 - 2007) with his surfboard on the beach at Biarritz, France, 1960.
Estate stamped and hand numbered edition of 150 with certificate of au...
Category
1960s Realist Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
Lambda
Slim Aarons, Lounging In Bermuda
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
Slim Aarons
Lounging In Bermuda, 1969
C print
Estate stamped and numbered edition of 150
with Certificate of authenticity
Jill Council relaxes with a drink by a swimming pool in B...
Category
1960s Modern Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
C Print
Slim Aarons, Skiing In Gstaad (Aarons Estate Edition)
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
Skiing In Gstaad, 1961
Chromogenic Lambda Print
Estate edition of 150
A vapour trail above skiers on a ski slope in Gstaad, Switzerland, 1961
Estate stamped and hand numbered editi...
Category
1960s Modern Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
Lambda
Slim Aarons, Skiing in New Hampshire
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
Skiing in Stowe, Vermont
C print
16 x 12 inches
A young woman waiting to go on a ski run in Stowe, Vermont, USA, 1962.
Estate stamped and hand numbered edition of 150 with certifi...
Category
1950s American Modern Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
Lambda
Verbier Vacation (Slim Aarons Estate Edition)
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
Caption: Holiday-makers take the sun on a mountain top in Verbier, 1964
Estate stamped and hand numbered edition of 150 with certificate of authenticity from the estate.
Slim Aaro...
Category
1960s Modern Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
Lambda
Slim Aarons The Bahamas Speed Week in Nassau (Slim Aarons Estate Edition)
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
The Bahamas Speed Week in Nassau, 1963.
Chromogenic Lambda print
Estate stamped and hand numbered edition of 150 with certificate of authenticity from the estate.
The Bahamas Speed ...
Category
1960s Modern Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
C Print
Slim Aarons, Esther Williams by the Pool
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
Slim Aarons
Esther Williams by the Pool, 1955
C print
Estate stamped and numbered edition of 150
with Certificate of authenticity
Swimmer and movie star Esther Williams by the poo...
Category
1950s Modern Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
C Print
Slim Aarons, Curling At St. Moritz
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
Slim Aarons
Curling At St. Moritz, 1963
C print
Estate stamped and numbered edition of 150
with Certificate of authenticity
Curlers on a rink, or curling sheet, in St Moritz, Swit...
Category
1960s Modern Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
C Print
Slim Aarons, Fruit Cocktail (Estate Edition)
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
Fruit Cocktail, 1968
Chromogenic Lambda Print
Estate edition of 150
Mrs Charles Rogers sits on a submerged bar stool in the Villa Vera Spa & Racquet Cl...
Category
1980s Modern Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
Lambda
Slim Aarons, Skiing Waitress
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
Skiing Waitress, 1960
C print
16 x 12 inches
Ski 'bum' Alice Clement, a waitress and dishwasher at Stowe, Vermont when not on the slopes, carrying her skis on the way to a run, circ...
Category
1950s American Modern Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
Lambda
Saint-Tropez Boucherie (Aarons Estate Edition)
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
A boucherie or butcher's shop on Rue des Commercants in Saint-Tropez, on the French Riviera, 1971.
Estate stamped and hand numbered edition of 150 with certificate of authenticity f...
Category
1970s Realist Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
Lambda
Mustique Hammock (Slim Aarons Estate)
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
March 1973: Linda Ashland relaxes in a beach hammock on the island of Mustique in the Grenadines.
Estate stamped and hand numbered edition of 150 with certificate of authenticity f...
Category
1970s Modern Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
Lambda
Valerie Cates in Marbella (Aarons Estate Edition)
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
Valerie Cates in Marbella, Spain, 1976
Estate stamped and hand numbered edition of 150 with certificate of authenticity from the estate.
Slim Aarons (1916-2006) worked mainly for...
Category
1970s Modern Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
Lambda
Exotic Hair Care - Limited Edition Estate Stamped Digital C-Type Print
By Slim Aarons
Located in Brighton, GB
Please note that as of 1st March 2025, the Slim Aarons Estate Stamped Collection aligned its pricing across the entire collection.
Please bear in mind that all prints are produced t...
Category
20th Century American Modern Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
C Print
Scotti's Yacht
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
Guests on board Italian Count Hannibal Scotti's yacht, 'Scotland Cay', Monte Carlo harbour, Monaco.
Estate stamped and hand numbered edition of 150 wit...
Category
1960s Realist Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
Lambda
Campbell Falls Picnic, Massachusetts, Estate Edition, Landscape Photograph
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This late 1960s landscape photograph, captured by society photographer Slim Aarons, features a family enjoying a picnic on the bank of the Whiting River near Campbell Falls, Massachu...
Category
1950s Realist Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
Lambda
La Concha Beach Club (Aarons Estate Edition)
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
La Concha Beach Club, 1975
Bathers at La Concha Beach Club, Acapulco, Mexico, February 1975.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
Lambda
Slim Aarons 'Friendly Chat'
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
Slim Aarons
Friendly Chat
1968 (printed later)
C print
Estate stamped and numbered edition of 150
with Certificate of authenticity
Italian countess Consuelo Crespi (left, 1928-201...
Category
1960s Modern Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
C Print
Slim Aarons, Skiing In Vail III (Estate Edition)
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
Skiing In Vail III, 1964
Chromogenic Lambda Print
Estate edition of 150
A group of skiers stand in line waiting for the ski lift in Vail, Colorado, USA, 1964.
Estate stamped and h...
Category
1960s Modern Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
Lambda
Slim Aarons, Andros Island (Slim Aarons Estate Edition)
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
Slim Aarons
Andros Island, 1957
C print
Estate stamped and numbered edition of 150
with certificate of authenticity
A family enjoying a quiet beach on Andros Island, Bahamas, 1957....
Category
1950s Modern Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
C Print
Harbour Isle Beach
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
Harbour Isle Beach, 1973, Printed Later
Chromogenic lambda print
Estate stamped and hand numbered edition of 150 with certificate of authenticity f...
Category
1970s American Modern Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
C Print
Palm Beach Arts Festival (Aarons Estate Edition)
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
The Palm Beach Arts Festival Procession, Florida, 1964.
Estate stamped and hand numbered edition of 150 with certificate of authenticity from the estate.
...
Category
1960s Realist Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
Lambda
Hello There
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
Hello There
1955 (printed later)
Chromogenic print
20 x 20 inches
Estate stamped and hand numbered edition of 150
with certificate of authenticity.
1955: ...
Category
1950s Modern Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
C Print
Slim Aarons 'Bahamas Speed Week' 1963 Official Limited Estate Edition
By Slim Aarons
Located in London, GB
'Bahamas Speed Week'
The Bahamas Speed Week in Nassau, 1963.
40 x 30" inches / 101 x 76 cm paper size
Estate Stamped Collection Edition to 15...
Category
1960s Modern Slim Aarons Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
Slim Aarons photography for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic Slim Aarons photography available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of photography to introduce a pop of color in a neutral corner of your living room or bedroom, you can find work that includes elements of blue, purple, pink and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by Slim Aarons in digital print, lambda print, laser print and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the modern style. Not every interior allows for large Slim Aarons photography, so small editions measuring 7 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Mark Shaw, Joel Meyerowitz, and Rainer Schlegelmilch. Slim Aarons photography prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $1,720 and tops out at $14,000, while the average work can sell for $2,500.