Lee Miller
Lee Miller (1907 - 1977), being a stunningly beautiful woman and Vogue magazine model, chose the path of a war photo correspondent and a life full of hardships.
Elizabeth (later Lee) Miller was born in New York state. We know little about her early biography but one thing is certain – at the age of seven, she was sexually abused by a guest at one of her parents' parties, and some time later her father photographed Lee naked supposedly to help her overcome psychological trauma.
When Lee was a teenager, her parents sent her to Paris with a French teacher where the future star of photography was supposed to study costume design. But Lee was so attracted to the bohemian lifestyle that she missed her classes. She even lived in a brothel for five days, drinking a lot of alcohol. Seven months later she was forced to return to America by her parents. From that point on, Lee Miller's life start to be very similar to an adventure novel.
Elizabeth (later Lee) Miller was born in New York state. We know little about her early biography but one thing is certain – at the age of seven, she was sexually abused by a guest at one of her parents' parties, and some time later her father photographed Lee naked supposedly to help her overcome psychological trauma.
When Lee was a teenager, her parents sent her to Paris with a French teacher where the future star of photography was supposed to study costume design. But Lee was so attracted to the bohemian lifestyle that she missed her classes. She even lived in a brothel for five days, drinking a lot of alcohol. Seven months later she was forced to return to America by her parents. From that point on, Lee Miller's life start to be very similar to an adventure novel.
Lee Miller
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«Everything else seemed insignificant to Lee Miller against the backdrop of war, and she deliberately chose the frontline over the safety of fashion photography, turning from a model into a war correspondent».
In 1926, Lee entered Vassar, a prestigious art college in the United States. Here a 21-year-old girl was carried away by drama and joined the experimental theatre. However, the same story happened with Lee Miller as before - she attended parties more often than classes, and a year later being under the influence of alcohol almost got under the wheels of a car in Manhattan. At the last minute a man whisks her to safety. It was Condé Nast, the famous publisher, Vogue magazine was one of his flagship products.
Soon Lee's face began to appear in the pages of the magazine, making her an incredibly successful model. Once Miller was approached by the famous photographer Edward Steichen, who suggested her a shooting for tampon commercial. That advertisement had both beneficial and detrimental consequences for Miller's career. On the one hand, no real woman ever was featured in commercials for feminine hygiene products and it was a success; on the other hand, the number of those wishing to shoot Lee decreased dramatically - few people wanted to have a girl whose face was associated with tampons in promoting their products.
Soon Lee's face began to appear in the pages of the magazine, making her an incredibly successful model. Once Miller was approached by the famous photographer Edward Steichen, who suggested her a shooting for tampon commercial. That advertisement had both beneficial and detrimental consequences for Miller's career. On the one hand, no real woman ever was featured in commercials for feminine hygiene products and it was a success; on the other hand, the number of those wishing to shoot Lee decreased dramatically - few people wanted to have a girl whose face was associated with tampons in promoting their products.
However, the advertising scandal gave her fresh impetus to start a new life. Collaborating with Conde Nast, she realized that she was much more interested in standing behind the camera herself, rather than acting as a model. In 1929 she moved to Paris with every possible letter of recommendation.
Lee set her sights on Man Ray, a Dadaist artist and distinguished photographer whose work she had long admired. At first Man Ray did not want to take her as his apprentice, assistant and lover. He was 17 years older. But Miller was not going to give up and thanks to her persistence, she and Man Ray had been inseparable for three years. Miller is said to have accidentally invented solarization – she was in the dark room but having felt a mouse or something running across her foot, she instinctively turned on the light. This technique became Man Ray's signature.
Lee became one of the outstanding photographers, often covering Man Ray on some projects, so that he was not distracted from more interesting shootings. However, she never put her own name. Meanwhile, she meets Pablo Picasso, with whom she maintained a lifelong friendship. Miller took more than 1,000 photographs of him for over the 36 years of their strong friendship.
Soon the relationship with Man Ray were becoming worse day by day. Lee got weary of Man Ray's outbursts of jealousy toward other Montparnasse artists and she was bored with his possessive attitudes. In 1932 she fled from him to New York. There she met the Egyptian-born businessman Aziz Eloui Bey, whom she married in 1934.
Man Ray was inconsolable, many noticed that he was on the verge of committing suicide. His artwork Object of Destruction – a metronome depicting Miller's eye – is the best depiction of his feelings after devastating breakup with Miller.
But Lee didn't care in the least. She was already with another man who took her to Egypt and where she created a huge number of photos, including the surreal “Portrait of Space”.
Lee set her sights on Man Ray, a Dadaist artist and distinguished photographer whose work she had long admired. At first Man Ray did not want to take her as his apprentice, assistant and lover. He was 17 years older. But Miller was not going to give up and thanks to her persistence, she and Man Ray had been inseparable for three years. Miller is said to have accidentally invented solarization – she was in the dark room but having felt a mouse or something running across her foot, she instinctively turned on the light. This technique became Man Ray's signature.
Lee became one of the outstanding photographers, often covering Man Ray on some projects, so that he was not distracted from more interesting shootings. However, she never put her own name. Meanwhile, she meets Pablo Picasso, with whom she maintained a lifelong friendship. Miller took more than 1,000 photographs of him for over the 36 years of their strong friendship.
Soon the relationship with Man Ray were becoming worse day by day. Lee got weary of Man Ray's outbursts of jealousy toward other Montparnasse artists and she was bored with his possessive attitudes. In 1932 she fled from him to New York. There she met the Egyptian-born businessman Aziz Eloui Bey, whom she married in 1934.
Man Ray was inconsolable, many noticed that he was on the verge of committing suicide. His artwork Object of Destruction – a metronome depicting Miller's eye – is the best depiction of his feelings after devastating breakup with Miller.
But Lee didn't care in the least. She was already with another man who took her to Egypt and where she created a huge number of photos, including the surreal “Portrait of Space”.
«I would rather take a photograph than be one”
- Lee Miller
However, that man was not meant to be with Lee all her life. In 1937 she meets Roland Penrose, a collector and English artist who played an important role in the post-war period of Miller's life.
Shortly before the outbreak of World War II, Miller came to London. She was still wanted as a model but her attention to war was growing dramatically. Everything else seemed so unimportant and insignificant against the backdrop of war. Miller contacted American Vogue and started working only this time as a photojournalist and went to the battlefront. She was always eager to be among the first to photograph a battle or the use of a new weapon.
Miller witnessed and documented the landing of troops in Normandy, the use of napalm, the liberation of the concentration camps of Buchenwald and Dachau. Her photographs capture the horrors of war. She insisted that Vogue printed her photos of people burned alive alongside glamorous models. Miller was following war action for 18 months. A famous photo from that period is Lee Miller in Hitler's Bathtub. This is a staged photo taken in Munich at Prinzregentenplatz, 16 in Hitler's apartment following his disappearance. The nude female figure in the bathtub is contrasted with mud-stained shoes standing on an equally contrasting white towel. In the background is a framed portrait of Hitler, as if watching his own downfall and the fall of his empire.
Shortly before the outbreak of World War II, Miller came to London. She was still wanted as a model but her attention to war was growing dramatically. Everything else seemed so unimportant and insignificant against the backdrop of war. Miller contacted American Vogue and started working only this time as a photojournalist and went to the battlefront. She was always eager to be among the first to photograph a battle or the use of a new weapon.
Miller witnessed and documented the landing of troops in Normandy, the use of napalm, the liberation of the concentration camps of Buchenwald and Dachau. Her photographs capture the horrors of war. She insisted that Vogue printed her photos of people burned alive alongside glamorous models. Miller was following war action for 18 months. A famous photo from that period is Lee Miller in Hitler's Bathtub. This is a staged photo taken in Munich at Prinzregentenplatz, 16 in Hitler's apartment following his disappearance. The nude female figure in the bathtub is contrasted with mud-stained shoes standing on an equally contrasting white towel. In the background is a framed portrait of Hitler, as if watching his own downfall and the fall of his empire.
Winning the war was a personal defeat for Miller - she gave so much to the war that she lost interest in everything else. The resulting post-traumatic syndrome led to alcoholism and depression.
Marriage to Roland Penrose in 1947, after ten years of knowing each other, made her life better. The couple welcomed a son and together they moved to a country house, where Lee was raising her son and found pleasure in cooking. Not only did she leave photography in her past, it seemed that she completely forgot about it, such was the psychological impact of war on her. Lee Miller lived to the age of 70 in peace and tranquility. However, her photographs of war become now a part of history of photography.
Marriage to Roland Penrose in 1947, after ten years of knowing each other, made her life better. The couple welcomed a son and together they moved to a country house, where Lee was raising her son and found pleasure in cooking. Not only did she leave photography in her past, it seemed that she completely forgot about it, such was the psychological impact of war on her. Lee Miller lived to the age of 70 in peace and tranquility. However, her photographs of war become now a part of history of photography.