|
 |
Born in New York in 1922, Milton Greene began taking pictures at the early age of 14. Although he was the recipient of a scholarship to the renowned Pratt Institute, a heightened awareness of the photographic image diverted his attention to the camera and its versatility. He soon apprenticed himself to the famous photojournalist and wizard of composition, Elliot Elisofen. Before long, his keen regard for fashion and the camera found him assisting Louise Dahl-Wolfe, the distinguished fashion photographer known for her unique covers and fashion pages for Harper´s Bazaar. At the age of twenty-three, Milton was referred to as "Color Photography´s Wonder Boy".
The majority of Milton´s work in the fifties and sixties appeared in major national publications including Life, Look, Harper’s Bazaar, Town & Country and Vogue. In fact, Milton Greene, along with other eminent photographers such as Richard Avedon, Cecil Beaton, Irving Penn, and Norman Parkinson, is credited for bringing fashion photography into the realm of fine art.
Although Greene was initially renowned for his high-fashion photography, it is his remarkable portraits of our most beloved artists, musicians, film, and television and theatrical celebrities, which have become legendary. It was Milton´s ability as a director that enabled him to capture the qualities that best personified the real person, making each of his pictures an eloquent, unique statement as he converted his remarkable vision into compelling photographic art. Milton believed that as an artist/photographer he wanted to capture people´s beauty, which was in the heart and to show people in an elegant and natural way. His gifts were in creating rapport in which to allow yourself to be seen, as well as his flawless timing.
The range of Milton Greene´s subjects include such people as Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, Grace Kelly, Marlene Dietrich, Sammy Davis, Jr., Elizabeth Taylor, Cary Grant, Sophia Loren, Groucho Marx, Audrey Hepburn, Andy Warhol, Judy Garland, Giacometti, Lauren Hutton, Alfred Hitchcock, Romy Schneider Sir Lawrence Olivier, Ava Gardner, Steve Mcqueen, Claudia Cardinale, Paul Newman, Lauren Bacall, Dizzy Gillespie, Catherine Deneuve and Norman Mailer as well as many others. But it was his unique friendship, business relationship and ensuing photographs of Marilyn Monroe for which he is most fondly remembered.
Milton first encountered Marilyn Monroe on assignment for Look Magazine. They quickly became close friends and ultimately formed their own film production company which produced Bus Stop and The Prince and the Showgirl. Before marrying Arthur Miller, Monroe lived with Milton and his family in their Connecticut farmhouse. It was during this period that Greene was able to capture some of the most beautiful photographs ever taken of Marilyn Monroe, recording her moods, beauty, talent and spirits. During their ten years together, Greene photographed Monroe in countless photographic sessions including the famous "Black" sitting.
It was also at this time that Marilyn entrusted Greene with her autobiography, simply called "My Story". It is the combination of the book and Greene´s rare and vivid photographs of Marilyn which evoke the legendary spirit of Marilyn Monroe. Milton also collaborated with Norman Mailer on a fictional auto-biography of Marilyn Monroe, entitled "Of Women and Their Elegance".
His photography won him many national and international honors, medals and awards; among them the American Institute of Graphic Arts and the Art Director´s Club of New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Detroit. One of his last awards was from the Art Director´s Club of New York for his work in Harper´s Bazaar.
In recent years, Milton Greene´s photographs, prints and posters have been exhibited in major museums and galleries throughout the world, as well as represented in many private collections. Milton H. Greene´s work will continue to be regarded as representative of an era in time, which may be gone, but will always be reflected in pictures.
Joshua Greene is the sole owner of the copyrights to all of the Milton H. Greene collection represented by the Archives,llc. The Archives is the source representative for all post-humous editions and vintage prints that were owned by the late photographer.
The Archives provides the service of authenticating all existing prints, which may be in the possession of auction houses or private collectors. Over the years there has been a substantial quantity of unauthorized prints made by disreputable sources. So please be aware that this unfortunate circumstance does exist and use The Archives to verify prints before auctioning them.
Below is a general biography of Milton’s work history and a list of award, activities, publication and exhibitions that existed during the life span of the late Milton H. Greene.
Feel free to visit our corporate website at www.archiveimages.com or contact The Archives by phone at #541-997-4970, fax at #541-997-5795 or email at: mhg @ archiveimages.com .
Awards
- American Institute of Graphic Arts
- Art Director´s Club (New York/Chicago/Los Angeles/Philadelphia/San Francisco, and Detroit)
Brief of Expanded Activities
- Executive Producer - "Prince and the Showgirl," starring Marilyn Monroe and Lawrence Olivier; Warner Bros.
- Visual/Technical Consultant - "Bus Stop," starring Marilyn Monroe, Don Murray; 20th Century Fox.
- Executive Producer - "NBC Paris Special," with Lauren Bacall, Christian Dior, Yves St. Laurent, Pierre Cardin, Emanuel Ungaro, and Marc Bohan; NBC TV. Executive Producer - "A Half Hour with Candace Bergen," sponsored by The Wool Bureau; CBS TV.
- Executive Producer - Film Titles, "Sammy Davis Show," a weekly series; NBC TV.
- Producer/Director - "Coty Awards."
Industrial Awards
- Monsanto
- Harry Winston
- Norman Norell
Publications
- "Of Women and Their Elegance" - a collaboration with Norman Mailer, Simon & Schuster.
- "Marilyn Monroe" - a biography by Norman Mailer, Grosset & Dunlop, Inc.
- "The Nude in Photography" - Arthur Goldsmith; Ridge Press.
- "The Look Book" - Leo Rosten and Harry N. Abrams.
- "The Image Makers" - sixty years of Hollywood glamor; McGraw Hill.
- "U.S. Camera" - U.S. Camera Publishing
- "20,000 Years of Fashion" - Harry Abrams.
- "My Story" - Marilyn Monroe; Stein & Day
- "The Marcel Marceau Counting Book" - Double Day & Co.
- "Life Goes to the Movies" - Time-Life Books
- "The Best of Life" - Time-Life Books
- "Life in Camelot; The Kennedy Years" - Time-Life Books
- "The First Fifty Years of Life" - Time-Life Books
Major Exhibitions
- International Center of Photography - New York
- Chicago Art Institute
- Smithsonian Institute - Washington, D.C.
- Musee du Marais - Paris
- Tokyo, Japan
- G. Ray Hawkins - Los Angeles
- Nikon House - New York
- Underwood Gallery / Douglas Elliot Gallery - San Francisco
- University of Massachusetts
|
 |
 |
 |
