Skip to main content
Menu
What's on Prizes The Portraits Watch
The Gallery Governance & Board Circle of Friends
Learn Access Search the website
close close
What's on The Portraits The Gallery Learn Watch More O

The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders both past and present.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned that this website contains images of deceased persons.

Vanity Fair Portraits

Photographs 1913-2008

Vanity Fair Portraits traces the birth and evolution of photographic portraiture through the archives of Vanity Fair magazine.

More information on Vanity Fair Portraits

Selected images

22 images
hide captions
Prince William of Wales, by Mario Testino, 2003 publ. September 2003. Credit: Mario Testino
Prince William of Wales, by Mario Testino, 2003 publ. September 2003.
Credit: Mario Testino
Jessica Lange and Sam Shepard, by Bruce Weber, 1984 publ. October 1984. Credit: Bruce Weber
Jessica Lange and Sam Shepard, by Bruce Weber, 1984 publ. October 1984.
Credit: Bruce Weber
Jessica Lange and Sam Shepard, by Bruce Weber, 1984 publ. October 1984. Credit: Bruce Weber
Jessica Lange and Sam Shepard, by Bruce Weber, 1984 publ. October 1984.
Credit: Bruce Weber
Albertina Rasch Dancers, by Florence Vandamm, 1927 publ. April 1927. Credit: Courtesy Condé Nast Archive
Albertina Rasch Dancers, by Florence Vandamm, 1927 publ. April 1927.
Credit: Courtesy Condé Nast Archive
Madonna, by Mario Testino, 1996 publ. November 1996. Credit: Mario Testino
Madonna, by Mario Testino, 1996 publ. November 1996.
Credit: Mario Testino
Augustus John, by Malcolm Arbuthnot, 1920 publ. February 1920. Credit: Courtesy Condé Nast Archive
Augustus John, by Malcolm Arbuthnot, 1920 publ. February 1920.
Credit: Courtesy Condé Nast Archive
Julianne Moore as Ingres's 'Grand Odalisque', New York City, by Michael Thompson, 2000 publ. April 2000. Credit: Michael Thompson
Julianne Moore as Ingres's 'Grand Odalisque', New York City, by Michael Thompson, 2000 publ. April 2000.
Credit: Michael Thompson
Liza Minnelli, by Mary Ellen Mark, December 2001 publ. March 2002. Credit: Mary Ellen Mark
Liza Minnelli, by Mary Ellen Mark, December 2001 publ. March 2002.
Credit: Mary Ellen Mark
A Much Screened Lady - Gloria Swanson, by Edward Steichen, 1924 publ. February 1928. Credit: Bequest of Edward Steichen by Direction of Joanna T. Steichen. Courtesy of George Eastman House
A Much Screened Lady - Gloria Swanson, by Edward Steichen, 1924 publ. February 1928.
Credit: Bequest of Edward Steichen by Direction of Joanna T. Steichen. Courtesy of George Eastman House
Hilary Swank, by Norman Jean Roy, December 2004 publ. March 2005. Credit: Norman Jean Roy
Hilary Swank, by Norman Jean Roy, December 2004 publ. March 2005.
Credit: Norman Jean Roy
Jean Harlow at home, by George Hurrell, 1934 publ. January 1935. Credit: Courtesy Condé Nast Archive
Jean Harlow at home, by George Hurrell, 1934 publ. January 1935.
Credit: Courtesy Condé Nast Archive
Jesse Owens, by Lusha Nelson, 1935 publ. September 1935. Credit: Courtesy Condé Nast Archive
Jesse Owens, by Lusha Nelson, 1935 publ. September 1935.
Credit: Courtesy Condé Nast Archive
Martin Amis, by Nigel Parry, 1995 publ. May 1995. Credit: Nigel Parry / CPI
Martin Amis, by Nigel Parry, 1995 publ. May 1995.
Credit: Nigel Parry / CPI
Philip Johnson wearing the PPG Building (costume designed and constructed by Joseph Hutchins, Works N. Y.), by Josef Astor, 1996 publ. July 1996. Credit: Josef Astor
Philip Johnson wearing the PPG Building (costume designed and constructed by Joseph Hutchins, Works N. Y.), by Josef Astor, 1996 publ. July 1996.
Credit: Josef Astor
Anna May Wong, by Edward Steichen, 1930 publ. January 1931. Credit: Courtesy Condé Nast Archive
Anna May Wong, by Edward Steichen, 1930 publ. January 1931.
Credit: Courtesy Condé Nast Archive
Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Joan Crawford, Santa Monica, by Nickolas Muray, 1929 publ. October 1929. Credit: Gift of Mrs Nickolas Muray. Courtesy of George Eastman House
Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Joan Crawford, Santa Monica, by Nickolas Muray, 1929 publ. October 1929.
Credit: Gift of Mrs Nickolas Muray. Courtesy of George Eastman House
Bette Davis, by Maurice Goldberg, 1934 publ. February 1935. Credit: Courtesy Condé Nast Archive
Bette Davis, by Maurice Goldberg, 1934 publ. February 1935.
Credit: Courtesy Condé Nast Archive
Cary Grant, by George Hoyningen-Huene, 1934 publ. November 1934. Credit: Courtesy Condé Nast Archive
Cary Grant, by George Hoyningen-Huene, 1934 publ. November 1934.
Credit: Courtesy Condé Nast Archive
Hollywood Cover, by Annie Leibovitz, 2001 publ. April 2001. Credit: Courtesy of the artist
Hollywood Cover, by Annie Leibovitz, 2001 publ. April 2001.
Credit: Courtesy of the artist
Louise Brooks, by Edward Steichen, 1928 publ. January 1929. Credit: Bequest of Edward Steichen by Direction of Joanna T. Steichen. Courtesy of George Eastman House
Louise Brooks, by Edward Steichen, 1928 publ. January 1929.
Credit: Bequest of Edward Steichen by Direction of Joanna T. Steichen. Courtesy of George Eastman House
Katharine Hepburn, by Cecil Beaton, 1935 publ. July 1935. Credit: The Cecil Beaton Studio Archive at Sotheby's, London
Katharine Hepburn, by Cecil Beaton, 1935 publ. July 1935.
Credit: The Cecil Beaton Studio Archive at Sotheby's, London
Louis Armstrong, by Anton Bruehl, 1935 publ. November 1935. Credit: National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Louis Armstrong, by Anton Bruehl, 1935 publ. November 1935.
Credit: National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
22 images
hide captions

Related information

Mick Jagger, Madonna and Tony Curtis, 1997
Mick Jagger, Madonna and Tony Curtis, 1997
Mick Jagger, Madonna and Tony Curtis, 1997
Mick Jagger, Madonna and Tony Curtis, 1997

The Vanity model

Magazine article by David Friend, 2009

Vanity Fair Editor David Friend describes how the rebirth of the magazine sated our desire for access into the lives of celebrities and set the standard for the new era of portrait photography.
Vanity Fair, April, 2004
Vanity Fair, April, 2004
Vanity Fair, April, 2004
Vanity Fair, April, 2004

International issue

Magazine article by Michael Desmond, 2009

Michael Desmond looks at the history of the Vanity Fair magazine in conjunction with the exhibition Vanity Fair Portraits: Photographs 1913-2008
The National Portrait Gallery building front entrance
The National Portrait Gallery building front entrance
The National Portrait Gallery building front entrance
The National Portrait Gallery building front entrance

The Gallery

Visit us, learn with us, support us or work with us! Here’s a range of information about planning your visit, our history and more!
Home Contact Media Privacy statement User agreement Social media and community guidelines
© National Portrait Gallery 2024
King Edward Terrace, Parkes
Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
Phone +61 2 6102 7000
ABN: 54 74 277 1196

The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people.

This website comprises and contains copyrighted materials and works. Copyright in all materials and/or works comprising or contained within this website remains with the National Portrait Gallery and other copyright owners as specified.

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. The use of images of works of art reproduced on this website and all other content may be restricted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Requests for a reproduction of a work of art or other content can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.

The National Portrait Gallery is an Australian Government Agency