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Slim Aarons, Lounging in Verbier, Switzerland, 1964

Slim Aarons

Lounging in Verbier, Switzerland, 1964

Slim Aarons, Verbier Skier, 1964

Slim Aarons

Verbier Skier, 1964

Slim Aarons, Kitzbühel, Austria, 1980

Slim Aarons

Kitzbühel, Austria, 1980
 

Slim Aarons, Skiing Waiters, Stowe, Vermont, 1962

Slim Aarons

Skiing Waiters, Stowe, Vermont, 1962
 

Slim Aarons, Skating at the Palace Hotel, 1989

Slim Aarons

Skating at the Palace Hotel, 1989
 

Slim Aarons, Il Canile (Villa owned by Umberto Tirelli and Dino Trappetti), Capri, Italy, 1980

Slim Aarons

Il Canile (Villa owned by Umberto Tirelli and Dino Trappetti), Capri, Italy, 1980

Slim Aarons, Catherine Wilke

Slim Aarons

Catherine Wilke, Capri, Italy, 1980

 

Slim Aarons, Hotel du Cap Eden-Roc: Guests by the pool at Hotel du Cap Eden-Roc, Antibes, France, 1972

Slim Aarons

Hotel du Cap Eden-Roc: Guests by the pool at Hotel du Cap Eden-Roc, Antibes, France, 1972
 

Slim Aarons, La Jolla Beach Club, 1955

Slim Aarons

La Jolla Beach Club, 1955
 

Slim Aarons, Lake Tahoe Trip: Young women canoeing at Zephyr Cove on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe, USA, 1959

Slim Aarons

Lake Tahoe Trip: Nevada, 1959

Slim Aarons, Leisure in Antibes: A woman sunbathes on a motorboat as it tows a waterskier in the bay off the Eden-Roc, 1969

Slim Aarons

Leisure in Antibes: A woman sunbathes on a motorboat as it tows a waterskier in the bay off the Eden-Roc, 1969
 

Slim Aarons, Bahamas Speed Week, 1963

Slim Aarons

Bahamas Speed Week, 1963

Slim Aarons, Lido Life, Venice, 1957

Slim Aarons

Lido Life, Venice, 1957
 

Slim Aarons, Pool on Amalfi Coast: Hotel Santa Caterina, Amalfi, Italy, 1984

Slim Aarons

Pool on Amalfi Coast: Hotel Santa Caterina, Amalfi, Italy, 1984
 

Slim Aarons, Poolside Pairs 1970: Lita Baron Nelda Linsk Helen Dzo Dzo at the Richard Neutra-

Slim Aarons

Poolside Pairs 1970: Lita Baron Nelda Linsk Helen Dzo Dzo at the Richard Neutra-
designed house of Edgar Kaufman

 

Slim Aarons' most famous photographs are undoubtedly the "Poolside Gossip” series. 

 

Aarons spent a week in Palm Springs in January 1970 photographing the resort town on assignment for Holiday.  Designed by Richard Neutra in 1946 and considered a modernist masterpiece, the Kaufmann Desert House and its pool sat perfectly situated at the base of the rolling mountains on Palm Spring's western edge.  Conveniently, the home was owned by Nelda Linsk, who happened to be in town. When Nelda and her husband weren’t in Palm Springs, they could be found at their home in New York’s Bedford Village, which, just as conveniently, was located down the road from Slim’s house in Katonah.

 

The photographer called his friend and neighbor, explained he simply couldn’t go back to Holiday without a pool story, and asked if she wouldn’t mind having a few friends over for a party. Nelda was happy to oblige. She made a few calls of her own, and an hour or so later Slim showed up with his camera and tripod. Nelda and guests are presented as they arrived—in clothes pulled from their own closets. As with most of Slim’s shoots, there were no assistants, no wardrobe, no stylists. There is no question the guests all look chic, but the unceremonious and pervasive lightness of the entire affair provides the photographs with their inescapable allure.

 

- Shawn Waldron

 

There were no makeup or wardrobe people. Slim said, “Pull something out of your closet.” Our house was done in yellow: the umbrellas were yellow, the flowers yellow. So I thought I’d wear something yellow. My outfit was in yellow terry cloth. I had on palazzo pants. If I’d known then what I know today, I might have dressed up a little more.  Slim called me one day from a book-signing party in New York and said, “Why is this photo so famous?” I said, “Slim, it’s because I’m in it.”

 

- Nelda Linsk

 

Slim Aarons, Sea Drive: Film producer Kevin McClory takes his wife Bobo Segrist and their family for a drive in an "Amphicar" across the harbor at Nassau, 1967

Slim Aarons

Sea Drive: Film producer Kevin McClory takes his wife Bobo Segrist and their family for a drive in an "Amphicar" across the harbor at Nassau, 1967

Slim Aarons, Christmas Swim: Rita Aarons in Hollywood, California, 1954

Slim Aarons

Christmas Swim: Rita Aarons in Hollywood, California, 1954

Slim Aarons, Mittersill airport, Austria, 1958

Slim Aarons

Mittersill airport, Austria, 1958
 

Slim Aarons, SS Queen of Bermuda in Hamilton Harbor, 1957

Slim Aarons

SS Queen of Bermuda in Hamilton Harbor, 1957
 

Slim Aarons, Belfast, Ireland, 1962

Slim Aarons

Belfast, Ireland, 1962

Slim Aarons, Excelsior Hotel Gala, Venice, 1957

Slim Aarons

Excelsior Hotel Gala, Venice, 1957
 

Slim Aarons, Kings of Hollywood: Clark Gable Van Heflin Gary Cooper and James Stewart at Romanoff’s in Beverly Hills, 1957

Slim Aarons

Kings of Hollywood: Clark Gable Van Heflin Gary Cooper and James Stewart at Romanoff’s in Beverly Hills, 1957

Slim Aarons, Lauren Bacall and Judy Garland, 1954

Slim Aarons

Lauren Bacall and Judy Garland, 1954
 

Slim Aarons, The Windsors: The Duke and Duchess of Windsor dancing at the Waldorf-Astoria, New York, 1953

Slim Aarons

The Windsors: The Duke and Duchess of Windsor dancing at the Waldorf-Astoria, New York, 1953

Slim Aarons, Naumburg Bandshell, Central Park, New York, 1948

Slim Aarons

Naumburg Bandshell, Central Park, New York, 1948
 

Slim Aarons, Park Avenue Party: Slim Hawks, Diana Vreeland, and her husband Reed Vreeland at Kitty Miller's New Year's Eve party in her home on Park Avenue in New York, 1952

Slim Aarons

Park Avenue Party: Slim Hawks, Diana Vreeland, and her husband Reed Vreeland at Kitty Miller's New Year's Eve party in her home on Park Avenue in New York, 1952
 

Slim Aarons, C.Z. Guest and Consuelo Vanderbilt at a party in Palm Beach, Florida, circa 1995

Slim Aarons

C.Z. Guest and Consuelo Vanderbilt at a party in Palm Beach, Florida, circa 1995

Slim Aarons, Parrot Jungle amusement park near Miami, 1955

Slim Aarons

Parrot Jungle amusement park near Miami, 1955
 

Slim Aarons, Pop and Society: Marianne Faithful, Desmond Guinness, and Mick Jagger at Leixlip Castle Ireland, 1968

Slim Aarons

Pop and Society: Marianne Faithful, Desmond Guinness, and Mick Jagger at Leixlip Castle Ireland, 1968

Slim Aarons, September Affair: A crowd gathers to watch Joan Fontaine and Joseph Cotten on the set of William Dieterle's film "September Affair", Rome, 1949

Slim Aarons

September Affair: A crowd gathers to watch Joan Fontaine and Joseph Cotten on the set of William Dieterle's film "September Affair", Rome, 1949
 

 

Slim Aarons, Baron Gaëtan de Rosnay, Klosters, Switzerland, 1981

Slim Aarons

Baron Gaëtan de Rosnay, Klosters, Switzerland, 1981

Slim Aarons, Truman Capote

Slim Aarons

Capote At Home: Truman Capote relaxes in his cluttered Brooklyn Heights apartment, 1958

Slim Aarons, Prince Archil Gourielli and Princess Helena Rubinstein in their New York apartment, 1950

Slim Aarons

Cosmetics Princess: Prince and Princess Archil Gourielli (Helena Rubinstein) in the living room of their New York apartment, 1950

Slim Aarons, Elizabeth Campbell Parks and Leslie, her daughter with photographer and filmmaker Gordon Parks, in Westchester County, New York, 1971

Slim Aarons

Elizabeth Campbell Parks and Leslie, her daughter with photographer and filmmaker Gordon Parks, in Westchester County, New York, 1971

Slim Aarons, Racer Gordon C. MacKenzie, Franconia, New Hampshire, 1955

Slim Aarons

Racer Gordon C. MacKenzie, Franconia, New Hampshire, 1955

Slim Aarons, Howard Hughes at Howard Hawks's East-West Croquet Match, 1955

Slim Aarons

Howard Hughes at Howard Hawks's East-West Croquet Match, 1955

Slim Aarons, Hunting For Fun: Hunter Reggie Destro and photographer Arnold Newman outside Nairobi, Kenya, 1958

Slim Aarons

Hunting For Fun: Hunter Reggie Destro and photographer Arnold Newman outside Nairobi, Kenya, 1958

Slim Aarons, American contralto Marian Anderson filming "The American Road" television special, 1953

Slim Aarons

American contralto Marian Anderson filming "The American Road" television special, 1953

Slim Aarons, Jacqueline Kennedy at the April in Paris Ball, New York, 1959

Slim Aarons

Jacqueline Kennedy at the April in Paris Ball, New York, 1959
 

Slim Aarons, Jim Kimberly and Kim Wadsworth at the Beverly Hills Hotel, 1956

Slim Aarons

Jim Kimberly and Kim Wadsworth at the Beverly Hills Hotel, 1956
 

Slim Aarons, Painter John Orr and Diana “Dysie” Davie in the living room of her Worth Avenue home, Palm Beach, 1970

Slim Aarons

Painter John Orr and Diana “Dysie” Davie in the living room of her Worth Avenue home, Palm Beach, 1970

 

Slim Aarons, Patsy Pulitzer relaxing by a pool in Palm Beach, circa 1955

Slim Aarons

Patsy Pulitzer relaxing by a pool in Palm Beach, circa 1955
 

Slim Aarons, Peggy Guggenheim next to Pablo Picasso's painting "On the Beach" in the Palazzo Venier dei Leoni, Venice, 1978

Slim Aarons

Peggy Guggenheim next to Pablo Picasso's painting "On the Beach" in the Palazzo Venier dei Leoni, Venice, 1978

Slim Aarons, Take It: Salvador Dali with some of his works at Port Lligat, Costa Brava, Spain, 1970

Slim Aarons

Take It: Salvador Dali with some of his works at Port Lligat, Costa Brava, Spain, 1970

Slim Aarons, Ted Williams, circa 1955

Slim Aarons

Ted Williams, circa 1955
 

Slim Aarons, Installation view

Slim Aarons

Installation view

Slim Aarons, Installation view

Slim Aarons

Installation view

Slim Aarons, Installation view

Slim Aarons

Installation view

Slim Aarons, Installation view

Slim Aarons

Installation view

Slim Aarons, Installation view

Slim Aarons

Installation view

Slim Aarons, Installation view

Slim Aarons

Installation view

Slim Aarons, Installation view

Slim Aarons

Installation view

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