by Brooke Varney
Snodwon: A Life in View
Not many are capable of fully capturing glamour and beauty in a single photo like photographer and filmmaker Anthony Charles Robert Armstrong-Jones, AKA Lord Snowdon. Married to Queen Elizabeth’s younger sister Princess Margaret, he was no stranger to elegance and style, working as the artistic advisor of the Sunday Times Magazine in England, with his work published in Vogue and Vanity Fair on a regular basis. However, what made Snodwon’s portraits stand out above all was his ability to capture the subject’s true personality in a simple portrait.
Snowdon driving his wife, Princess Margaret.
In the new book edited by Snodwon’s daughter Lady Frances von Hofmannsthal, some of the most influential names in the fashion industry serve as contributors, reflecting on the photographer’s iconic work and career. Designer Issey Miyake says of his experiences working with Snowdon that his “perceptive eyes capture beautifully and deeply the essence of the clothes along with the nature and humour of the sitters”. After looking through just a sample of his many portraits, it is safe to say that Miyake hit the nail on the head with that statement.
Lord Snowdon (bottom left) along with daughter Frances and actor Jude Law celebrate the release of his portrait book at his two-room exhibit in London’s National Portrait Gallery, running until June of next year.
Snowdon’s 1956 portrait of Prince Charles and Princess Anne.
A headshot of musician David Bowie.
Gianni Versace poses for Snowdon in this portrait circa 1990.
John Galliano, 1990.
Yves Saint Laurent during a fitting.