Edward Quinn

No photographer captured the social and cultural life of the Côte d'Azur during the "Golden Fifties" as vividly and with such keen irony as the Irishman Edward Quinn (1920–1997). The glamorous scenes of yachts, luxury hotel suites, and promenades provided a rich backdrop for his work, featuring stars, aristocrats, artists, and moguls. His sensitive portraits of icons like Brigitte Bardot, Sophia Loren, Marlon Brando, and Audrey Hepburn remain iconic documents of the era.

Quinn’s early collaborations with his wife Gret included pin-up photography, reflecting the tension of the time between wanting to reveal everything but adhering to societal norms of modesty. Later, he captured rising stars like a young Bardot with an authentic and effortless charm, before she became a global sensation with her own celebrity photographers. His work offers a unique window into the glamorous yet human side of mid-century high society.