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photography

A Canterbury Tale

Canterbury Cathedral

Admittedly, I don’t pay much attention to the goings-on of the British Royal Family, but I won’t hesitate to give HM The Queen a royal salute for having her Diamond Jubilee this past weekend. As a result, we got two bank holidays in a row, and the four-day weekend was most welcome, indeed. When in the moment, I feared I wasn’t getting much done during this block of free time. But looking back on it, I accomplished quite a bit: a trip to Colindale to find some long-lost newspaper articles for book research; an interview with Australian actor Trader Faulkner, who told of some memorable weekends at Notley Abbey in 1955; arranged for tea with 97-year-old actress Renee Asherson; went to a screening of Prometheus; and finally, got out of London for a day!

With the seaside in mind, I boarded a train bound for Canterbury yesterday morning with my friend Anthony and his partner Tony. Canterbury is a lovely, medieval walled city famous for its massive cathedral, Chaucer’s stories and Eric Portman putting glue in girls’ hair during the blackout. After lunch at a little French cafe, we went to visit the site of many a religious pilgrimage before boarding a bus to Herne Bay.

The countryside was lovely, but Herne Bay is one of those seaside towns that looks much better in photos. The horrible weather didn’t help the already slightly depressing ambiance. What was once a bustling Victorian beach resort is now little more than beach-front ice cream shops, a shopping centre and a really ugly pier (the remains of the burnt-out Victorian pier are isolated out at sea). Rather disappointing, but all in all it was a fun trip and I managed to get some decent photos armed only with my camera phone.*

*This post is image-heavy.

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photography vivien leigh

Cover Story: Vivien Leigh by Philippe Halsman

Vivien Leigh by Philippe Halsman, 1946

Today, Life.com celebrated the birthday of master celebrity photographer Philippe Halsman. Best known for his “jump” series in which he captured the famous and infamous in mid-air, Latvian-born Halsman began his photography career with French Vogue in the 1930s before enjoying a decades-long partnership with LIFE. During his time with America’s foremost photo new magazine, Halsman shot Vivien Leigh for two covers. He was in awe of Hollywood’s most sought-after actress, but their working relationship proved difficult. Halsman tells his story of photographing an “angel-like star” in his book Sight and Insight (Doubleday, 1972)

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No one who has seen her in Gone with the Wind will be surprised that Vivien Leigh became in my eyes one of the most beautiful women in the world.  I was delighted when Life asked me to photograph her for a cover.

I knew that she suffered from t.b., but I was shocked by her pale and fragile appearance when she entered my studio.  Vivien asked me whether she should put on some rouge, but I saw a strange attractiveness in her transparent paleness and photographed her as she was.  Her features were exquisite, she was full of gentile charm and friendliness and at the end of the sitting I had the feeling that I was photographing something very unusual: an angel-like star.

The shock came when I developed my photographs.  What I saw was not the image of a fragile, delicate angel but that of a tired and sick young woman.  I phoned Vivien and told her it had been a  terrible mistake on my part to photograph her without makeup and I hoped she would pose for me again.  The angel-like voice answered that she understood and that she would come to pose tomorrow.

We used make-up in the second sitting.  Vivien posed with more spirit than in the first sitting, and when her pictures were developed and printed I was delighted with the result.

The telephone rang.  It was Vivien, who was worried about her pictures and wanted to see them.  Whenever I photograph for a magazine my rule is never to show a picture to the sitter before publication.  But how could I say no to an angel, who without complaining left her sick bed to pose for me a second time?

Vivien Leigh by Philippe Halsman for LIFE

Vivien Leigh captured by Philippe Halsman for LIFE, 1946 and 1951

I finished my work and took the best prints to the Waldorf Astoria where she and her husband, Laurence Olivier, were staying.  Although I knew that on doctors’ orders Vivien spent most of the day in bed, I felt a pang of sadness seeing her pale and emaciated in the huge hotel bed.  Fortunately, my pictures showed none of her illness, only her beauty and charm.  With a touch of pride I was showing her my prints when I was struck by the change in her expression.  Instead of and angel I saw a wounded tigress.  “These pictures are terrible,” she said, “and I forbid you to show them to the magazine.  I know your boss, Mr. Luce, personally; if you disobey me, I will destroy you.”

A knock at the door interrupted her.  The hotel waiter appeared with Miss Leigh’s tea and cookies.  Where should I put the tray, Miss Leigh?” he asked.  With a sweet and melodious voice, Vivien answered, “could you, please, put it on the night table.”  The waiter obeyed, looked admiringly at the prostrate angel, deposited the tray and left.  When the door closed, Vivien took my beautiful prints and tore them into little pieces.  I thought of the hours I had spent in the dark room, mumbled a good-bye and left, feeling completely crushed.

On that same evening, Vivien Leigh’s public relations man called me up.  “I know that Vivien has torn up your pictures, but she did not tear up the contacts which you left in the envelope.  Olivier has seen them and he is crazy about them.  By all means, make new prints and submit them to Life.”  I followed his advice, and one photograph, showing Vivien with an alluring Mona Lisa-like smile, became a very successful cover.

Five years later, while in London, I received a cable asking me to make a double portrait of the Oliviers for a Life cover.  The sitting room was to take place in the dressing room of a London theatre.  I was watching Vivien’s expression when I entered the room.  She smiled angel-like and said, “What a great pleasure to see you again!”

Probably because I was still resentful, my plan for the cover was to show only the heads of the couple, with Olivier’s profile covering and eclipsing half of Vivien’s face, since his fame had gradually eclipsed hers.

I placed my sitters in the position I had conceived.  However, during the sitting Vivien moved slightly away from her upstaging husband and looked at him with a charming, adoring expression.  It destroyed my original design but probably resulted in a much better picture.

london photography travel

Exploring London: Highgate Cemetery


After finishing grad school last September, I was constantly stressed out about being in the dreaded Transition Phase. I’m sure anyone who reads this can relate to that state of mind–you’ve finished school; you have a good degree; so what are you going to do with your life? Wait, didn’t you already go through this after getting your BA?

For five months, I constantly worried about finding a job so I could stay in London. And for those five months, I had way too much time on my hands. Now, between working two jobs, I feel like my free time is practically non-existent. Stress and I have been on intimate terms for a long time, and as someone who is prone to anxiety, it’s really important for me to take opportunities that allow me to just chill out. My go-to method for mentally unwinding is photography. When I can, I like to grab my camera and head out with a friend, or solo, to take photos around London.

A couple of weeks ago, my friend Anthony and I decided to go on a photo walk in what is possibly my favorite part of London. Highgate is a beautiful village bordering Hampstead Heath and the ancient Highgate Wood. Its biggest tourist attraction is the hauntingly atmospheric victorian cemetery where many notable people, including Karl Marx, George Elliot, Ralph Richardson, Jean Simmons, Lucian Freud, and most of Charles Dickens’ family, have found their final resting place.

Highgate Cemetery is split into two sections spanning either side of Swains Lane. The East Cemetery is open to the public for a small fee. The West Cemetery, often referenced in film and literature, is accessible by guided tour only. We chose the West Cemetery and were led on a trek by a quirky guide who regaled us with stories of the cemetery’s famous inhabitants and put to rest the urban legend of the Highgate Vampire. No ghosts or vampires were seen on our tour, but it’s easy to see why such stories abound in this quaint corner of North London…

Highgate Wood

Highgate Cemetery

Cedar of Lebanon, Highate Cemetery

Circle of Lebanon, Highgate Cemetery
Highgate Cemetery
Highgate Cemetery

Highgate Cemetery
White Eagle Hill, Highgate Cemetery
Highgate Cemetery
Highgate Cemetery
Highgate Cemetery

Highgate Cemetery is roughly a 10 minute walk from either Archway or Highgate tube stations (Northern Line)

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Spring cleaning

Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier by Laura Loveday
I’m very excited to unveil a new look for vivandlarry.com! The header, based on a photo by James Abbe Jr, was designed by the amazingly talented Miss Laura Loveday, a designer and illustrator living in Cornwall, using a combination of hand-drawn and photoshop. I’ve known Laura for many years through the blogosphere and our mutual love for classic films and creative design. The new look was created for the anniversary of this website, which is happening on April 7. I can’t think of a better way to commemorate 5 years online than with this beautiful illustration. Thanks, Laura!

Also, just to remind everyone, if you had previously subscribed to receive an email update whenever a new blog post is made, you will have to re-subscribe to continue getting this service. When the site was recovered a couple days ago, this data was lost. I’ve re-subscribed a few people already but can’t remember everyone’s email addresses.

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photography vivien leigh

The colors of of India

Vivien Leigh (right) riding an elephant in India, 1964

India has been on my mind quite often lately. While watching The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (John Madden) and Trishna (Michael Winterbottom) recently, I couldn’t help thinking that the thing I loved most about these two films was the cinematography and the beauty of the Indian landscape. A couple weeks ago, I sat in the library reading through the letters Vivien Leigh wrote to Jack Merivale. In the autumn of 1964, Vivien returned to the East for the first time since she left Darjeeling for London at age 6. Vivien’s letters, some of which were reprinted by Anne Edwards in her 1977 biography, describe her adventures in Nepal and India, the beauty of the people, the landscapes, the culture. Katmandu, Delhi, Madras, and Karanjia were on her list. She wrote with great delight about the temples, funeral pyres on the rivers, friezes of erotica, elephant rides and a journey in the Raj’s plane for breathtaking views of the Himalayas and a close-up look at Everest. It was a “return to her roots” although she never went back to Darjeeling.

Needless to say, all this reading and film viewing has made India jump to the top of my bucket list. Some day, I hope to take my own photos, but for now, I’ll leave you with some stunning images by photojournalist Steve McCurry. Best known for his  striking “Afghan Girl” portrait, McCurry has photographed for National Geographic and other publications for decades. A couple of years ago, he was entrusted with the last-ever-produced roll of Kodachrome film. The images are currently on his website. Whether shooting with film or digital, McCurry expertly captures the colors, faces and lifestyles of one of the most classically fabled countries in Asia.

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