Baron George Hoyningen-Huene (September 4, 1900 – September 12, 1968) was a
fashion photographer
Fashion photography is a genre of photography which is devoted to displaying clothing and other fashion items, sometimes haute couture. It typically consists of a fashion photographer taking a picture of a dressed model in a photographic studio ...
of the 1920s and 1930s. He was born in the
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...
to
Baltic German
Baltic Germans (german: Deutsch-Balten or , later ) were ethnic German inhabitants of the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea, in what today are Estonia and Latvia. Since their coerced resettlement in 1939, Baltic Germans have markedly declined ...
and American parents and spent his working life in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
and the United States.
Europe
Born in
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
,
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
on September 4, 1900, Hoyningen-Huene was the only son of Baron Barthold Theodor Hermann (Theodorevitch) von Hoyningen-Huene (1859-1942), a Baltic nobleman, military officer and lord of Navesti manor (near
Võhma
Võhma (german: Wöchma) is a town
A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world.
Origin ...
), and his wife, Emily Anne "Nan" Lothrop (1860-1927), a daughter of
George Van Ness Lothrop, an American minister to Russia. (The couple was married in
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...
,
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
, in 1888.) He had two sisters. Helen (died 1976) became a fashion designer in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
and the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, using the name Helen de Huene. Elizabeth (1891-1973), also known as Betty, also became a fashion designer (using the name Mme. Yteb in the 1920s and 1930s).
During the
Russian Revolution
The Russian Revolution was a period of Political revolution (Trotskyism), political and social revolution that took place in the former Russian Empire which began during the First World War. This period saw Russia abolish its monarchy and ad ...
, the Hoyningen-Huenes fled first to
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, and later to
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
. By 1925 George had already worked his way up to chief of photography of the French ''
Vogue
Vogue may refer to:
Business
* ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine
** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine
** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine
** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine
** ''Vogue China'', ...
'' where he was mentor to up-and-coming photographers including
François Tuefferd
François Tuefferd (30 May 1912 – 17 December 1996) was a French photographer, active from the 1930s to the 1950s. He also ran a darkroom and gallery in Paris, ''Le Chasseur d'Images'', where he printed and exhibited the works of his contemporari ...
. In 1931 he met
Horst, the future photographer, who became his lover and frequent model and traveled to England with him that winter. While there, they visited photographer
Cecil Beaton
Sir Cecil Walter Hardy Beaton, (14 January 1904 – 18 January 1980) was a British fashion, portrait and war photographer, diarist, painter, and interior designer, as well as an Oscar–winning stage and costume designer for films and the theat ...
, who was working for the British edition of ''Vogue''. In 1931, Horst began his association with ''Vogue'', publishing his first photograph in the French edition in November of that year.
United States
In 1935 Hoyningen-Huene moved to
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
where he did most of his work for ''
Harper's Bazaar
''Harper's Bazaar'' is an American monthly women's fashion magazine. It was first published in New York City on November 2, 1867, as the weekly ''Harper's Bazar''. ''Harper's Bazaar'' is published by Hearst and considers itself to be the st ...
''. He published two art books on
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
and
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
before relocating to
Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywood, ...
, where he earned a living by shooting glamorous portraits for the film industry.
Hoyningen-Huene worked in huge studios and with whatever lighting worked best. Beyond fashion, he was a portraitist of Hollywood stars and other celebrities.
He also worked in Hollywood in various capacities in the film industry, working closely with
George Cukor
George Dewey Cukor (; July 7, 1899 – January 24, 1983) was an American film director and film producer. He mainly concentrated on comedies and literary adaptations. His career flourished at RKO when David O. Selznick, the studio's Head of ...
, notably as special visual and color consultant for the 1954
Judy Garland
Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. While critically acclaimed for many different roles throughout her career, she is widely known for playing the part of Dorothy Gale in '' The ...
movie ''A Star Is Born''. He served a similar role for the 1957 film ''Les Girls'', which starred
Kay Kendall
Kay Kendall (21 May 1927 – 6 September 1959) was an English actress and comedienne. She began her film career in the musical film '' London Town'' (1946), a financial failure. Kendall worked regularly until her appearance in the comedy film ...
and
Mitzi Gaynor
Mitzi Gaynor (born Francesca Marlene de Czanyi von Gerber; September 4, 1931) is an American actress, singer, and dancer. Her notable films include '' We're Not Married!'' (1952), '' There's No Business Like Show Business'' (1954), '' The Birds ...
, the
Sophia Loren
Sofia Costanza Brigida Villani Scicolone (; born 20 September 1934), known professionally as Sophia Loren ( , ), is an Italian actress. She was named by the American Film Institute as one of the greatest female stars of Classical Hollywood ci ...
film ''Heller in Pink Tights'', and ''
The Chapman Report
''The Chapman Report'' is a 1962 American Technicolor drama film starring Shelley Winters, Jane Fonda, Claire Bloom and Glynis Johns. It was made by DFZ Productions and distributed by Warner Bros. It was directed by George Cukor and produced by ...
''.
He died at 68 years of age in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
.
Photography
* Fashion: As a Chief Photographer of both Vogue and Harper's Bazaar, he would photograph brands such as Chanel, Balenciaga, Lanvin, etc.
Portraits: Hoyningen-Huene would photograph celebrities, artists, actors, and actresses.
* Nudes: George would also photograph nudes using Greece itself, their sculpture, and architecture as inspiration.
* Travel: George would travel a lot during his time as a fashion photographer, which made him document travel photography from his traveling to Greece and North Africa.
Publications
* ''Egypt'' by
aron
Aron may refer to:
Characters
*Aron (comics), from the Marvel Universe comic ''Aron! HyperSpace Boy!''
*Aron (Pokémon), in the ''Pokémon'' franchise
* Aron Trask, from John Steinbeck's novel ''East of Eden''
*Áron or Aaron, the brother of Mos ...
George Hoyningen-Huene with text by George Steindorff. J. J. Augustin Publisher, 1943
*''Hellas: A Tribute to Classical Greece'' 64 Photographs by Hoyningen-Huene, with text by Hugh Chisholm. J. J. Augustin Publishers, 1943
*''Eye for Elegance - George Hoyningen-Huene'' (exhibition catalogue) International Center of Photography and Congreve Publishing Company, 1980
*''The Photographic Art of Hoyningen-Huene'' by William Ewing, George Hoyningen-Huene. Thames & Hudson, 1998
*” Mexican Heritage “ by George Hoyningen-Huene, with text by Alfonso Reyes, J.J. Augustin Publishers Corporation, 1946
Filmography (1950s-60s)
Miscellaneous crew
* ''The Adventures of Hajji Baba'' (1954) color consultant
* ''
A Star Is Born'' (1954) special color design advisor
* ''
Bhowani Junction
''Bhowani Junction'' is a 1954 novel by John Masters, which was the basis of a 1956 film starring Ava Gardner and Stewart Granger. It is set amidst the turbulence of the British withdrawal from India. It is notable for its portrayal of the Eu ...
'' (1956) color consultant
* ''Les Girls'' (1957) color coordinator
* ''It Started in Naples'' (1960) title designer
* ''
Heller in Pink Tights
''Heller In Pink Tights'' is a 1960 American Technicolor Western film adapted from Louis L'Amour's 1955 novel ''Heller with a Gun''. It stars Sophia Loren and Anthony Quinn and was directed by George Cukor.
The movie is noted for its lavishly ...
'' (1960) color coordinator and technical advisor
* ''
Let's Make Love
''Let's Make Love'' is a 1960 American musical comedy film made by 20th Century Fox in DeLuxe Color and CinemaScope. Directed by George Cukor and produced by Jerry Wald from a screenplay by Norman Krasna, Hal Kanter, and Arthur Miller, the film ...
'' (1960) color coordinator
... also known as The Billionaire
... also known as The Millionaire
* ''
A Breath of Scandal
''A Breath of Scandal'' (released as ''Olympia'' in Italy) is a 1960 American/Italian international co-production romantic comedy-drama film directed by Michael Curtiz, based on the stage play ''Olympia'' by Ferenc Molnár. It stars Sophia Lore ...
'' (1960) color advisor
... also known as Olympia (Italy)
* ''
The Chapman Report
''The Chapman Report'' is a 1962 American Technicolor drama film starring Shelley Winters, Jane Fonda, Claire Bloom and Glynis Johns. It was made by DFZ Productions and distributed by Warner Bros. It was directed by George Cukor and produced by ...
'' (1962) color consultant - designer, title designer
* ''A New Kind of Love'' (1963) color coordinator - designer
Costume designer
* ''A Breath of Scandal'' (1960)
... also known as Olympia (Italy)
References
External links
George Hoyningen-Huene : Fotografo (Spanish language)Exhibition Shadow and Light at Staley-Wise GalleryGeorge Hoyningen-Huenea
aenigmaLocation of the Navesti manor in Governorate of Livonia*
ttps://hollisarchives.lib.harvard.edu/repositories/24/resources/6420 Collection Guide, George Hoyningen-Huene Photographs, Houghton Library, Harvard UniversityGeorge Hoyningen-Huene Estate Archives
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hoyningen-Huene, George
1900 births
1968 deaths
Photographers from Saint Petersburg
Portrait photographers
Fashion photographers
Gay artists
Russian LGBT artists
Baltic German people from the Russian Empire
Baltic-German people
Baltic nobility
Russian people of Estonian descent
Russian people of American descent
People from Livonia
20th-century LGBT people
White Russian emigrants to France