DOUGLAS KIRKLAND
(1934-2022)

Photographs

PHOTOGRAPHS

COCO CHANEL, 1962

Westwood Gallery NYC presented the 2008 worldwide premiere exhibition of Douglas Kirkland's photographs of Coco Chanel, not seen by the public in over 45 years.

In 1962, at the age of 27, Kirkland received an assignment from Look Magazine to photograph Coco Chanel (1883 – 1971) for a story on the legendary fashion icon. For a period of three weeks, Kirkland shadowed Mademoiselle Chanel capturing her intense schedule and daily routine with models, fitters, clients, and friends. In order to gain her trust and approval, Chanel instructed Kirkland to initially photograph models wearing her collection and submit the prints for her review. Chanel was so taken with the young man and his photographic skill, she allowed him access to her private rooms, surveying her everyday movements. In addition to fashion images, Kirkland and Chanel took a day trip to Versailles resulting in surreal photographs of the 'grande dame' appropriately set in the royal gardens. Coco Chanel revolutionized women's fashion with creations and style, including the 'little black dress', Chanel's signature cardigan jacket, women's casual wear, non-corseted fashions, quilted handbags, short hairstyles, mixing real and costume jewelry, and many other styles and trends, as well as Chanel No. 5, the world's best selling perfume. In many images, Chanel is wearing her trademark hat and pearls, scissors hanging from a ribbon around her neck and smoking constantly while she worked. Chanel did not sketch her designs so her creations took effect while draping fabric directly on the models. Coco Chanel was the epitome of a strong, independent woman, never married, who struggled yet persevered with a passion that consumed her throughout her life. Today, Kirkland remembers with great fondness and admiration the days spent with Coco Chanel. His photographs provide a personal view of this extraordinary individual, the most influential fashion designer of the 20th century.

The negatives of these photographs have been in the well-known photographer's vault until exhibited by WESTWOOD GALLERY NYC in 2008. The exhibition of 40 photographs, a documentation of intimate and public moments of a woman who transformed 20th century fashion, traveled to Hawaii, Hong Kong, Tokyo.

To inquire regarding prices for vintage photographs or limited edition prints, and to purchase any of the photographs shown below, contact the gallery at info@westwoodgallery.com.

Black and white photograph of women modeling fashion, descending a staircase

Black and white photograph of Coco Chanel in white suit and hat sewing a sleeve directly on a model

Black and white photograph of Coco Chanel in white suit and hat with a tall young man in a suit

Black and white photograph of out-of-focus image of woman in front of Coco Chanel hiding behind a screen

Black and white photograph of Coco Chanel in white suit and hat walking in front of the “Chanel” boutique

Black and white photograph of Coco Chanel in white suit smoking, with a mirror behind her in which a model and fitter are visible

Black and white photograph of Coco Chanel in white suit and hat leaning towards someone and smiling

Black and white photograph of people speaking at the bottom of a circular staircase

Black and white photograph of Coco Chanel in white suit and hat against the background of a bookcase and a mirror, smiling

Black and white photograph of Chanel arranging a dress on a model underneath an ornate chandelier

Black and white photograph of Coco Chanel sitting down on steps and watching something below

Black and white photograph of Chanel in an apartment with a bookcase and large mirror visible behind her

Black and white photograph of people watching three models in long white dresses

Black and white photograph of a crowd at a party, including Grace Radzwill

Black and white photograph of two women standing in white dresses, one woman in a vintage cocktail dress, sitting down

Black and white photograph of Coco Chanel in white suit and hat in conversation with a group of women

Black and white photograph of Chanel sewing a sleeve on a model looking scared

Black and white photograph of Chanel walking in the street next to 1960s cars

Black and white photograph of Chanel in white suit and hat sitting on the staircase

Sepia photograph with painted edges of Chanel in a white suit and hat sewing a sleeve on a model

Sepia photograph with painted edges of Coco Chanel in smoking, with a mirror in which a model and fitter are visible

Sepia photograph with painted edges of Chanel in a white suit and hat speaking with another woman in a suit

Sepia photograph with painted edges of Chanel in a white suit and hat walking in the street

Sepia photograph with painted edges of Chanel in a white suit and hat sitting down on steps and watching something below

MARILYN MONROE

Westwood Gallery NYC presented the premiere solo exhibition in 2001 of Douglas Kirkland's photographs of Marilyn Monroe and represents the photographer for sales of fine art prints in all categories.

Photographed by Kirkland on November 17, 1961, Marilyn Monroe died a few months later in 1962. The stunning photographs of Monroe as she posed for Kirkland lying on a bed enveloped only in white silk sheets have since become iconic. The 1961 photo shoot became an historic event, due to the intimate exchange between Kirkland and Monroe. At the time, Kirkland was a young 27 year old photojournalist for Look Magazine, who spent the evening alone with Monroe, a 35 year old sex symbol and film star.

Besides the iconic images of Marilyn, this series of work includes behind the scenes black and white photographs of Kirkland, taken during his photo shoot with Monroe in a California studio. The photo session required three encounters with Monroe, which according to Kirkland was like meeting three different women. Prior to the shoot she was a sweet, naïve actress, during the photo session he encountered a seductress and the following day Monroe was a distressed, despondent woman.

Color photograph of Marilyn Monroe in a bed with white sheets

Color close-up photograph of Marilyn Monroe in a bed with white sheets

Color photograph of Marilyn Monroe in a bed with white sheets, embracing a pillow

Color photograph of Marilyn Monroe, stretching in a bed with white sheets

Black and white photograph of a woman in a bed with white sheets speaking to a man laying down on the floor

Black and white photograph of Marilyn Monroe speaking to a man sitting on the floor

Black and white photograph of a man photographing Marilyn Monroe covered in white sheets

ICONS AND LEGENDS

Some of Kirkland's notable subjects include Man Ray, Andy Warhol, Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn, Charlie Chaplin, Judy Garland, Orson Welles, John Wayne, Coco Chanel, Pierre Cardin, Jacques Henri Lartigue, Dr. Stephen Hawking, Mick Jagger, Sting, Morgan Freeman, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Leonardo DiCaprio, Brigitte Bardot, Sophia Loren, Catherine Deneuve, Michael Jackson, and Diana Ross.

Color photograph of Keith Haring painting white signs the body of a performer in red wig

Color photograph of young Mick Jagger with a character in a red and blue mask

Color photograph of Andy Warhol surrounded by a group of people, with a couple kissing in the background

Color print of a contact sheet with images of Andy Warhol

Color photograph of Audrey Hepburn in a white hat, with sunglasses with white frames

Color photograph of Dennis Hopper watching an editing screen

Color photograph of Elizabeth Taylor in a black low cut dress against a blue background

Black and white photograph of Audrey Hepburn smiling

Black and white photograph of Vittorio de Sica, Marcello Mastroianni, Faye Dunaway and other individuals during a meeting

Sepia close-up photograph of young Brigitte Bardot

Director Roger Vadim surrounded by actresses on a film set

Brigitte Bardot boarding a flight, surrounded by photographers

Judy Garland speaking to a young man on a set

Biography

BIOGRAPHY

Douglas Kirkland started his career in 1957 as an apprentice to photographer Irving Penn. At the time, he was hired by Look Magazine during what has become known as the golden age of photojournalism. His assignments in the 1960s and 70s were essays on Greece, Lebanon, and Japan as well as fashion and celebrity work, photographing Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe, and Marlene Dietrich among others.

Over the decades, Kirkland has photographed legendary, well-known individuals and completed scores of projects and books. He has also worked with film directors on over 100 film sets, both in the U.S. and abroad.

Exhibition History

OFFSITE EXHIBITIONS

DOUGLAS KIRKLAND:
COCO CHANEL, 1962

2012, TOKYO, JAPAN

2011, HONG KONG, CHINA

2010, HONOLULU, HAWAII

Click to view information about Douglas Kirkland's traveling exhibition of photographs with Chanel Inc.

EXHIBITION HISTORY

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2013 - Douglas Kirkland’s 50-Year Love Affair with Photography, Southeast Museum of Photography, Daytona Beach, FL

2012 - An Evening With Marilyn, Westwood Gallery, NYC

2011 - Coco Chanel, 1962, Chanel Nexus Hall, Tokyo, Japan. Curated by James Cavello, Westwood Gallery

2011 - Coco Chanel, 1962, The Rotunda in Exchange Square Central, Hong Kong. Curated by James Cavello, Westwood Gallery

2010 - Douglas Kirkland Retrospective, Triennale di Milano, Milan, Italy

2010 - Douglas Kirkland, My Life in Pictures, Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, Australia

2009 - Coco Chanel, 1962, Chanel Boutique, Waikiki, Honolulu, HI. Curated by James Cavello, Westwood Gallery

2009 - Fashion and Fame: A Photographic Exhibition, Bangkok, Thailand

2009 - Life as a Legend: Marilyn Monroe, Winnipeg Art Gallery, Canada

2008 - Coco Chanel, 1962, Westwood Gallery, NYC

2008 - Freeze Frame, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Beverly Hills, CA

2007 - Freeze Frame, Westwood Gallery, NYC

2006 - Cinema Moments, An Intimate Look Behind the Scenes with Douglas Kirkland, Cedro26 Galleria Fotografica, Rome, Italy

2005 - An Evening with Marilyn, Westwood Gallery, NYC

1990 - Douglas Kirkland’s Light Years: Three Decades Photographing Among the Stars, International Center of Photography, NYC

1965 - The Photo Essay, Museum of Modern Art, NYC

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2015 - Audrey Hepburn: Portraits of an Icon, National Portrait Gallery, London

2015 - Audrey Hepburn: Portraits of an Icon, National Portrait Gallery, Washington D.C.

2011 - Life as a Legend: Marilyn Monroe, Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh, PA

2010 - Life as a Legend: Marilyn Monroe, Museum of Contamporary Art, Jacksonville, FL

2009 - Life as a Legend: Marilyn Monroe, Glenbow Museum, Calgary, Canada

2009 - L8S ANG3LES, Annenberg Space for Photography, Los Angeles, CA

2008 - Life as a Legend: Marilyn Monroe, Fine Arts Center, Colorado Springs, CO

2008 - Life as a Legend: Marilyn Monroe, Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, IL

2008 - Life as a Legend: Marilyn Monroe, Saginaw Art Museum, Saginaw, MI

2007 - Life as a Legend: Marilyn Monroe, Dayton Art Institute, Dayton, OH

2007 - Life as a Legend: Marilyn Monroe, Huntington Museum of Art, Huntington, WV

2007 - Life as a Legend: Marilyn Monroe, Sioux City Art Center, Sioux City, IA

2007 - Life as a Legend: Marilyn Monroe, Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, Halifax, Canada

2006 - Life as a Legend: Marilyn Monroe, Boca Raton Museum of Art, Boca Raton, FL

1987 - A Day in the Life of America, Nikon House, NY, NY

PRESS

Press

2016 - Artnet News, "Douglas Kirkland's Iconic, Rare, and Racy Photographs of Marilyn Monroe"

2016 - Marie Claire "Beautiful and Rare Marilyn Monroe Photographs by Douglas Kirkland"

2015 - CNN.com "In Bed with Marilyn Monroe"

2015 - The Guardian "Douglas Kirkland’s best photograph: Coco Chanel at work in Paris, 1962"

2014 - City Beat

2014 - L’Oeil de la Photographie, "In the Studio with Douglas Kirkland"

2013 - Vanity Fair, “600 and Up. Photographs by Douglas Kirkland”

2013 - Telegraph, “Douglas Kirkland: Hollywood’s favorite photographer”

2013 - Resource Magazine, “Douglas Kirkland Interview: A Life in Pictures”

2013 - The Daily Mail, “Famed photographer Douglas Kirkland reveals how capturing Hollywood stars has changed since the Sixties”

2013 - Smogranch, "Douglas Kirkland: A Life in Pictures"

2013 - Wall Street Journal, "From Springsteen to Douglas Kirkland, the Best Photo Books for Fall"

2013 - Glamour Magazine, "The Exclusive Stories Behind 7 Incredible Hollywood Bombshell Photos "

2012 - Fine Art TV "Douglas Kirkland Living Legend"

2012 - Huffington Post, "Marilyn Monroe And Douglas Kirkland’s Photographic Seduction"

1990 - The New York Times, "Life Among the Stars: A Photographer's Dim View"

Publications

PUBLICATIONS

> Freeze Frame: Second Cut, Photographs by Douglas Kirkland

> A Life in Pictures: The Douglas Kirkland Monograph

> When We Were Young, Photographs by Douglas Kirkland

> Come Una Pin Up, Photographs by Douglas Kirkland

> With Marilyn: An Evening 1961, Photographs by Douglas Kirkland

> Michael Jackson: The Making of “Thriller”, Photographs by Douglas Kirkland

> Mademoiselle: Coco Chanel, Photographs by Douglas Kirkland. Text by Karl Lagerfeld

> Coco Chanel: Three Weeks, Photographs by Douglas Kirkland

> Freeze Frame, Photographs by Douglas Kirkland

> An Evening with Marilyn, Photographs by Douglas Kirkland

> Mother and Child: Wildlife Photography, Photographs by Douglas Kirkland and Reg Grundy

> Legends, Photographs by Douglas Kirkland

> Body Stories, Photographs by Douglas Kirkland

> James Cameron’s Titanic, Photographs by Douglas Kirkland

> Showgirls: Portrait of a Film, Photographs by Douglas Kirkland. Text by Paul Verhoeven

> Icons: Creativity With Camera and Computer, Photographs by Douglas Kirkland

> Light Years: 3 Decades of Photography Among the Stars, Photographs by Douglas Kirkland

Museum Collections

MUSEUM COLLECTIONS

The Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Beverly Hills, CA

National Portrait Gallery, London, UK

National Portrait Gallery, Canberra, King Edward Terrace, Parkes, Australia

George Eastman House, Rochester, NY

Houston Center for Photography, Houston, TX

Annenberg Space for Photography, Los Angeles, CA

Southeast Museum of Photography at Daytona College

DOUGLAS KIRKLAND (1934-2022)

PHOTOGRAPHS ​​

BIOGRAPHY ​​

OFFSITE EXHIBITIONS ​​

DOUGLAS KIRKLAND: COCO CHANEL, 1962

EXHIBITION HISTORY ​​

PRESS ​​

PUBLICATIONS ​​

MUSEUM COLLECTIONS ​​