Classics revisited

By Edward Steichen Andrew Sydenham, Hollie Latham Hucker and Tracy Calder recreate Steichen’s 1920s portrait of Gloria Swanson

We recreate steichen’s 1924 portrait of the actress Gloria swanson

Edward Steichen was a key figure in 20thcentury photography. Born in Luxembourg in 1879, his family emigrated to America in 1881. In the 1890s he studied painting and photography, which led him to take a Pictorialist approach with his photography.

In 1900 Steichen met Alfred Stieglitz and in 1902 was invited to join him to help establish the exhibition gallery Photo-Secession, also known as ‘291’. The organisation was devoted to endorsing photography as fine art. Shortly after America joined the First World War in 1917, Steichen became head of aerial photography for the US army in France. His previous Pictorialist style of work was overtaken by more descriptive and pragmatic images. In 1923 Steichen moved to New York and became chief photographer for Vogue and Vanity Fair. He was one of few photographers to transition successfully from the artistic movement of the Photo-Secession to the profitable world of commercial photography. During the next 15 years Steichen made his mark on fashion and portraiture photography. In 1947 Steichen succeeded Beaumont Newhall as director of MoMA’s Department of Photography. Steichen died on March 25 1973, two days before his 94th birthday.