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.
$1,800
Cannes Watersports, Estate Edition, Mid-Century Modern Photograph
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This late-1950s photograph, captured by society photographer Slim Aarons, features holidaymakers waterskiing from the pier of the Carlton Hotel, Cannes. This is an estate-stamped an...
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Slim Aarons Limited Estate Edition Dining Al Fresco On Capri
By Slim Aarons
Located in London, GB
Slim Aarons Limited Estate Edition Dining Al Fresco On Capri Italian artist and actress Domiziana Giordano, Italian author Francesca Sanvitale (1928 - 2011), Dino Trappetti and Umbe...
Archival Pigment
Sunbathing in Capri, 1974 - Sunbathers on French Island of Capri Summer Bronzing
By Slim Aarons
Located in Brighton, GB
Sunbathing in Capri, 1974 - Sunbathers on French Island of Capri Summer Bronzing by Slim Aarons 16 x 20" print. Limited Edition Estate Stamped Print. Edition of 150. Printed Later. ...
Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Digital
$3,925
Slim Aarons 'Cortina d'Ampezzo' Unframed Limited Edition Estate Stamped Edition
By Slim Aarons
Located in London, GB
Cortina d'Ampezzo by Slim Aarons Isa Genolini and Maria Antonia in the main street of Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, March 1982. (Photo by Slim Aarons) Limited edition estate stamped pr...
Archival Pigment
Social Call, Las Brisas, Acapulco, Mexico, Estate Photograph, Mid-Century Modern
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This early-1970s photograph, captured by society photographer Slim Aarons, features Charley Weaver at the Las Brisas resort in Acapulco, Mexico. This is an estate-stamped and hand-n...
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Sunbathing Antibes, 1976 - Hotel du Cap Eden Roc French Riviera Nude
By Slim Aarons
Located in Brighton, GB
Sunbathing Antibes, 1976 - Hotel du Cap Eden Roc French Riviera Nude by Slim Aarons 16 x 20" print. Limited Edition Estate Stamped C-Print. Edition of 150. Printed Later. Sunbathin...
Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Digital
Palm Springs Riders, 1970 - Desert Landscapes in Southern California Hills
By Slim Aarons
Located in Brighton, GB
Palm Springs Riders, 1970 - Desert Landscapes in Southern California Hills 16 x 20" print. Limited Edition Estate Stamped Print. Digital C-Type print. Edition of 150. Printed Later....
Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Digital
Westin Excelsior, Lido in Venice, 1957 - Venetian Gondolas in Canals in Italy
By Slim Aarons
Located in Brighton, GB
Westin Excelsior, Lido in Venice, 1957 - Venetian Gondolas in Canals in Italy by Slim Aarons 16 x 20" print. Limited Edition Estate Stamped Print. Edition of 150. Printed Later. We...
Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Digital
Slim Aarons, 'Natale Rusconi' Midcentury Modern Photography
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
Natale Rusconi riding a Hotel Cipriani motor launch with the Church of San Giorgio Maggiore on San Giorgio Maggiore island beyond, in Venice, Italy, in September 1978. Slim Aarons ...
C Print
Hotel Du Cap-Eden-Roc, Antibes, Estate Edition, Mid-Century Modern Photograph
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This late-1970s photograph, taken by society photographer Slim Aarons, features guests around the swimming pool at the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, in Antibes on the French Riviera. This ...
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Cafe Terrace In Nice Slim Aarons Estate Stamped Print
By Slim Aarons
Located in London, GB
Cafe Terrace In Nice 1957 by Slim Aarons Slim Aarons Limited Estate Edition Holidaymakers on a cafe terrace in Nice on the French Riviera, 1957. unfra...
Archival Pigment
Saint Tropez Beach - Topless Sunbathing Nude Portrait French Riviera Beaches
By Slim Aarons
Located in Brighton, GB
Saint Tropez Beach - Topless Sunbathing Nude Portrait French Riviera Beaches by Slim Aarons 16 x 20" print. Limited Edition Estate Stamped Print. E...
Photographic Paper, Color, C Print, Digital
Speedboat Landing Slim Aarons Limited Estate Print
By Slim Aarons
Located in London, GB
Speedboat Landing A Magnum motorboat belonging to Count Filippo Theodoli arrives at the private jetty of the Il Pellicano Hotel in Porto Ercole, Italy, August 1973. Gorgeous print ...
Color, Archival Pigment
Sunbathing in Venice, 1954 - Venetian Nude Sunbathing in Vintage Italian Fashion
By Slim Aarons
Located in Brighton, GB
Sunbathing in Venice, 1954 - Venetian Sunbathing in Vintage Italian Fashion by Slim Aarons 16 x 20" print. Limited Edition Estate Stamped C-Print. Edition of 150. Printed Later. A...
Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Digital
Sunbathing in Capri, Catherine Wilke, 1980 Slim Aarons Estate Limited Edition
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
Catherine Wilke joins the topless sunbathers – along with Elisabetta Catalano, Charlotte Ticken and Pamela Grupas – on the island of Capri, Italy, in August 1980. Sunbathing in Capr...
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Poolside Party - Limited Slim Aarons Estate Print
By Slim Aarons
Located in London, GB
Slim Aarons Estate Limited Edition C print 40 x 30 inches / 101 x 76 cm unframed. ' Poolside Party ' A poolside party at a desert house, designed by Richard Neutra for Edgar J. K...
C Print, Color
Catherine Wilke, 1980 - Bronze Model Poses Drinking Cocktail by Sunbathers
By Slim Aarons
Located in Brighton, GB
Catherine Wilke, 1980 - Bronze Model Poses Drinking Cocktail by Sunbathers by Slim Aarons 16 x 20" print. Limited Edition Premium Collection Estate Stamped Print. Edition of 150. Pr...
Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Digital
Snowmass Village, Colorado, Estate Edition, Mid-Century Modern Photograph
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This late 1960s photograph, captured by society photographer Slim Aarons, features women in colourful hats at an apres ski party in Snowmass Village, in Pitkin County, Colorado, in M...
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Faraglioni Rocks in Capri, 1974 - Capri Island Sorrento Italian Vacation Holiday
By Slim Aarons
Located in Brighton, GB
Faraglioni Rocks in Capri, 1974 - Capri Island Sorrento Italian Vacation Holiday by Slim Aarons 16 x 20" print. Limited Edition Estate Stamped C-Print....
Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Digital
Sunbathing On Capri - Slim Aarons - 20th century colour photography Oversize
By Slim Aarons
Located in London, GB
'Sunbathing On Capri' by Slim Aarons Huge Oversize 72 x 48 inches / 183 x 122 cm paper size Catherine Wilke joins the topless sunbathers - along with Elisabetta Catalano, Charlotte...
C Print
Garden Party Huge Oversize Slim Aarons Limited Estate Stamped Edition
By Slim Aarons
Located in London, GB
Garden Party. An elegant garden party in Miami, Florida, 1970. Huge oversize 60 x 60" inches / 152 x 152 cm paper size Estate Stamped Collection Edition to 150 Photo by Slim Aaro...
Archival Pigment
Slim Aarons "Keep Your Cool" Unframed Limited Edition Estate Stamped Print
By Slim Aarons
Located in London, GB
Keep Your Cool Carmen Alvarez enjoying a game of backgammon with Frank ‘Brandy’ Brandstetter in a swimming pool at Acapulco, 1978. (Photo by Slim Aarons) Unframed (Premium Collect...
Archival Pigment
$1,800
Cortina d'Ampezzo, Estate Edition, Mid-Century Modern Photograph
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This early-1980s photograph, captured by society photographer Slim Aarons, features tourists resting from skiing at Cortina d'Ampezzo. This is an estate-stamped and hand-numbered ed...
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$4,900
Hotel Du Cap-Eden-Roc -Slim Aarons - colour C print photography - 20th century
By Slim Aarons
Located in London, GB
'Hotel Du Cap-Eden-Roc' by Slim Aarons ESTATE EDITION - numbered and emboss stamped on front. (edition size 150 only) Waterskiing from the Hotel Du Cap-Eden-Roc in Cap d'Antibes, ...
C Print
'Dinner Jazz' 1949 Slim Aarons Limited Estate Edition
By Slim Aarons
Located in London, GB
'Dinner Jazz' 1949: American Jazz trumpeter and singer Louis Armstrong (1898 – 1971) enjoys a plate of spaghetti in Rome. 30x30 inches / 76 x 76 cm paper size Estate Stamped Co...
Silver Gelatin, Black and White
Harriet De Rosiere, France, Estate Edition, Mid-Century Modern Photograph
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This mid-1950s photograph, taken by society photographer Slim Aarons, features Viscountess Harriet de Rosiere at Mougins, near Cannes in France. This is an estate-stamped and hand-n...
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Cortina d'Ampezzo Fashion
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
Isa Genolini and Maria Antonia in the main street of Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, March 1982. Cortina d'Ampezzo Fashion 1972 c print Estate stamped and hand numbered edition of 150 wi...
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Corsica Island Paradise, 1984, Slim Aarons Estate Limited Edition Print ED.150
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
August 1984: Topless swimmers on a rocky promontory of the Mediterranean island of Cavallo, Corsica. Slim Aarons Island Paradise 1984 C print (Printed l...
C Print
Slim Aarons Limited Estate Edition Dining Al Fresco On Capri
By Slim Aarons
Located in London, GB
Slim Aarons Limited Estate Edition Dining Al Fresco On Capri Italian artist and actress Domiziana Giordano, Italian author Francesca Sanvitale (1928 - 2011), Dino Trappetti and Umbe...
Archival Pigment
$1,440Sale Price|20% Off
Dining In Gstaad, Switzerland, Estate Edition, Mid-Century Modern Photograph
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This early 1960s landscape photograph, captured by society photographer Slim Aarons, features holidaymakers at a ski lodge at Gstaad, Switzerland, March 1961. This is an estate stam...
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Beach at St. Tropez - Topless Sunbathing South of France French Riviera Beaches
By Slim Aarons
Located in Brighton, GB
Beach at St. Tropez - Topless Sunbathing South of France French Riviera Beaches by Slim Aarons 16 x 20" print. Limited Edition Estate Stamped Print. Edition of 150. Printed Later. ...
Photographic Paper, Color, C Print, Digital
Private Island, Philippines, Estate Edition, Mid-Century Modern Photograph
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This early 1970s photograph, captured by society photographer Slim Aarons, features a guest relaxing on the beach of a private island owned by Philippine Airlines President, Benigno ...
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$1,440Sale Price|20% Off
Signpost In St. Moritz, Switzerland, Estate Edition, Mid-Century Modern Photo
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This early 1960s landscape photograph, captured by society photographer Slim Aarons, features a signpost indicating various ski slopes and toboggan tracks in the resort of St Moritz,...
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Donald Leas 1968 Slim Aarons Estate Stamped Edition
By Slim Aarons
Located in London, GB
Donald Leas April 1968: Mr and Mrs Donald Leas with their Rolls Royce and two pet dogs outside The Flagler Museum in Palm Beach, Florida. 60x60” / 152 x 152 cm - paper size Es...
Archival Pigment
Poolside Friendship, Palm Springs, Estate Edition, Portrait Photograph
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This 1970 portrait photograph, captured by society photographer Slim Aarons, features Nelda Linsk (left, in yellow), wife of art dealer Joseph Linsk with guests by the pool at the Li...
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Mrs George Cameron - Society Portrait of Socialite with Red Lips on Tiger Rug
By Slim Aarons
Located in Brighton, GB
Mrs George Cameron - Society Portrait of Socialite with Red Lips on Tiger Rug by Slim Aarons 16" x 16" print on 16" x 20" paper. Limited Edition Estate...
Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Digital
Zephyria I, Estate Edition. Monte Carlo French Riviera Speedboat Seascape
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Monte Carlo, 1970: This classic landscape photograph, captured by society photographer Slim Aarons, features a vintage wooden and red painted speedboat carrying holidaygoers in the ...
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Saint-Tropez Beach Estate Edition Photograph, French Riviera
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Slim Aarons' Saint-Tropez Beach, an Estate Edition photograph, is a vintage scene of sunbathers on the French Riviera, August 1971. Colorful coral red an...
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Zermatt Skiing, 1968
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
Skiers in Zermatt, Switzerland, March 1968. Slim Aarons Zermatt Skiing 1968 C print (Printed later) Estate signature stamped and hand numbered edition of 150 with certificate of au...
C Print
Abaco Islander 1986 Slim Aarons Estate Stamped Edition
By Slim Aarons
Located in London, GB
Abaco Islander, 1986 Author Chester Thompson at work in his coconut grove on the Abaco Islands of the Bahamas, March 1986. His ancester Wyannie Malone settled on the islands in 178...
Archival Pigment
Slim Aarons 'Jean Serpieri' Official Limited Estate Edition
By Slim Aarons
Located in London, GB
'Jean Serpieri' Madame Jean Serpieri sits in the ballroom of the Tour La Reine near Athens, wearing a gown that belonged to the wife of Otto, the first king of modern Greece, Decem...
Archival Pigment
Poolside Catwalk, California, Estate Edition, Mid-Century Modern Photograph
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This 1970s photograph, taken by society photographer Slim Aarons, features former fashion model Helen Dzo Dzo Kaptur (in white lace) and Nelda Linsk (in yellow), wife of art dealer J...
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'George Hamilton' 1977 Slim Aarons Limited Estate Edition
By Slim Aarons
Located in London, GB
'George Hamilton' American actor George Hamilton holidays in Saint-Tropez, on the French Riviera, August 1977. Paper Size 24x20 inches / 60 x 50 cm Estate Stamped Collection E...
Color, Archival Pigment
Sea Drive, Nassau, Estate Edition Photograph
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This mid-1960s photograph, captured by society photographer Slim Aarons, features film producer Kevin McClory taking his wife Bobo Sigrist and their family for a drive in an 'Amphica...
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'Golfing Pals' (1977) - Slim Aarons Limited Edition Estate Stamped Print
By Slim Aarons
Located in London, GB
Golfing Pals (1977) - Limited Edition Estate Stamped Print (Photo By Slim Aarons) At the 16th hole on Pebble Beach golf course, singer and film star Bi...
Color, C Print
$3,000
Social Call, Mexico, Estate Edition, Mid-Century Modern Photograph
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This early-1970s photograph, captured by society photographer Slim Aarons, features Charley Weaver at the Las Brisas resort in Acapulco, Mexico. This is an estate-stamped and hand-n...
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Saint-Tropez Beach
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The beach at Saint-Tropez, on the French Riviera, August 1971. 30 x 40 inches $3350 20 x 30 inches $3000 20 x 24 inches $2500 10 x 12 inches $1350 Complimentary dealer shipping ...
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$5,400
Saint-Tropez Boucherie, French Riviera, Estate Edition Photograph
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Discover the quintessence of French Riviera charm in Slim Aarons' iconic photograph, 'Saint-Tropez Boucherie,' on Rue des Commercants, Saint-Tropez, 1971. This image is a beautiful intersection of fashion, culture, and everyday life in the sun-drenched streets of Saint-Tropez in August 1971. This photograph features a casual yet captivating scene: two women and a young girl, all dressed in vibrant, vintage early '70s attire in shades of mint green, lemon yellow, and pink, enjoying a leisurely conversation outside a classic red French boucherie or butcher shop. A chic gold and white bicycle, representative of the laid-back Mediterranean lifestyle, is parked unassumingly on the sidewalk. Adding depth to the scene, the shop's proprietor, clad in a purple shirt, can be spotted through the window, lending an authentic touch to the photograph. An enchanting Moroccan-style zellige tile...
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$1,440Sale Price|20% Off
Waterfall at Rose Hall, Estate Edition
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A woman combing her hair by a waterfall at Rose Hall, Jamaica, December 1971. Visual description: A tanned white woman smiles and combs her long brown hair by a waterfall at Rose H...
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Los Leones, St Barts - Saint Barthelemy Architecture Al Fresco Dining Views
By Slim Aarons
Located in Brighton, GB
Los Leones, St Barts - Saint Barthelemy Architecture Al Fresco Dining Views by Slim Aarons 16 x 20" print. Limited Edition Estate Stamped Print. Edition of 150. Printed Later. "Lo...
Photographic Paper, Color, C Print, Digital
Palm Beach Idyll, 1955 - Relaxing by Palm Trees in Palm Beach by Atlantic Ocean
By Slim Aarons
Located in Brighton, GB
Palm Beach Idyll, 1955 - Relaxing by Palm Trees in Palm Beach by Atlantic Ocean by Slim Aarons 16 x 16" print. Limited Edition Estate Stamped Print. Edition of 150. Printed Later. ...
C Print, Photographic Paper, Color, Digital
Britt Ekland, Estate Edition
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Film star Britt Ekland (Britt-Marie Eklund) in Porto Ercole, Italy. Slim Aarons Estate Edition, Certificate of Authenticity included Numbered and stampe...
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Sunbathing in Capri, Catherine Wilke, 1980
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
Sunbathing in Capri, Catherine Wilke 1980 Chromogenic Lambda print Estate stamped and hand numbered edition of 150 with certificate of authenticity from the estate. Catherine Wilke...
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Palm Beach Ladies Slim Aarons Limited Estate Print
By Slim Aarons
Located in London, GB
'Palm Beach Ladies' 1964 Slim Aarons Limited Estate Edition Print American socialite Wendy Vanderbilt (right) and another woman wearing Lilly Pulitzer ...
Color, Archival Pigment
Slim Aarons 'Boats At Hotel Du Cap-Eden-Roc' 1969 Limited Estate Edition
By Slim Aarons
Located in London, GB
'Boats At Hotel Du Cap-Eden-Roc' Motorboats moored off the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes on the French Riviera, 1969. 40 x 30" inches / 101 x 76 cm paper size Estate Stamped...
Archival Pigment
Catch Up by the Pool, California, Estate Edition, Mid-Century Modern Photograph
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This early 1970s photograph, taken by society photographer Slim Aarons, features former fashion model Helen Dzo Dzo Kaptur (in white lace), Nelda Linsk (in yellow), wife of art deale...
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Guests At The Hotel Bel-Air, Estate Edition, Mid-Century Modern Photograph
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This early 1990s photograph, captured by society photographer Slim Aarons, features guests by the swimming pool on a terrace at the Hotel Bel-Air on Cap Ferrat on the Côte d'Azur, so...
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Sardinian Holiday Slim Aarons Limited Estate Print
By Slim Aarons
Located in London, GB
Sardinian Holiday Selvaggia Borromeo enjoys a yachting holiday on the Costa Smeralda in Sardinia, 1967. Gorgeous print measuring 40 x 30 inches / ca 101 x 76 cm's. Estate Stamp...
Color, Archival Pigment
Porto Ercole - Italy - Slim Aarons 20th century colour photography
By Slim Aarons
Located in London, GB
'Porto Ercole' Italy (Slim Aarons Estate Edition) A jetty juts out from the rocky shoreline at the Hotel Il Pellicano in Porto Ercole, Tuscany, August 1973. Beautiful greens of th...
C Print
Fan Mail, Beverly Hills, Estate Edition, Portrait Photograph
By Slim Aarons
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This early 1950s portrait photograph, captured by society photographer Slim Aarons, features Marilyn Monroe (1926 - 1962), wearing a red negligee trimmed with black lace, sorts out h...
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