Edward Steichen was a famous painter and photographer long before he was hired by Vogue and Vanity Fair in 1923. He had established his reputation with his series of “Great Men,” which included portraits of Auguste Rodin, John Pierpont Morgan and George Bernard Shaw. By 1908, his work was held in such high esteem that he was invited to photograph President Theodore Roosevelt.

For Vanity Fair, Steichen showcased the most prominent figures in literature, journalism, dance, sports, politics, theatre and film. With few props, which he cleverly recycled, his skilful use of artificial lights and his reinterpretation of ideas borrowed from art history, Steichen always found new ways to portray his subjects and magnify their presence. He became the society photographer for New York and Hollywood. In making more than 1,000 celebrity portraits for the magazine between 1923 and 1937, Steichen created a rich and unique record of the period.