HELMUT NEWTON
Helmut Newton was born in Berlin Germany 1920, and passed in West Hollywood, California USA, due to a car accident. He was born into a German-Jewish and American family, with his father working as a button-factory owner. Newton was a world renowned fashion photographer, best known for his subject matter of the nude studies of women.
Newton first discovered photography when at twelve, purchased his first professional camera. He then immediately feel in love with the art and began working for the German photographer Yva. During the Nuremberg law years, Jews were given many oppressive restrictions which led to his father losing his well loved business. The Kristallnacht, in 1938 on November 9th, forced the family to leave Germany, with Newton’s family fleeing to Chile, he then gained a passport after his 18th birthday and left Germany on the 5th of December 1938 to live and work in Singapore. He worked as a Portrait photographer for a few years and then from Singapore he boarded the ‘Queen Mary’, and arrived in Sydney on the 27th of September 1940.
Newton started off his Australian career in Flinders Lane in 1946. His main objective and subject matter was fashion photography. He shared his studio with Wolfgang Sievers in May 1953, both being German refugees. Over the years Newton grew a high reputation as a fashion photographer and when he secured a commission to illustrate fashions in a special Australian supplement of Vogue magazines in January 1956, he then gained himself a twelve month contract with British Vogue and then left for London in 1957. After leaving the magazine he went to work for French and German magazines, by then gaining a high repertoire and status to return to Melbourne with a contract for Australian Vogue in 1959.
His style was seen erotic, stylized scenes, often with sado-masochistic and fetishistic subtexts. Over the years he settled in Paris, 1961 and continued as a fashion photographer, with his works being published in French Vogue and Harpers Bazaar.
Newton first discovered photography when at twelve, purchased his first professional camera. He then immediately feel in love with the art and began working for the German photographer Yva. During the Nuremberg law years, Jews were given many oppressive restrictions which led to his father losing his well loved business. The Kristallnacht, in 1938 on November 9th, forced the family to leave Germany, with Newton’s family fleeing to Chile, he then gained a passport after his 18th birthday and left Germany on the 5th of December 1938 to live and work in Singapore. He worked as a Portrait photographer for a few years and then from Singapore he boarded the ‘Queen Mary’, and arrived in Sydney on the 27th of September 1940.
Newton started off his Australian career in Flinders Lane in 1946. His main objective and subject matter was fashion photography. He shared his studio with Wolfgang Sievers in May 1953, both being German refugees. Over the years Newton grew a high reputation as a fashion photographer and when he secured a commission to illustrate fashions in a special Australian supplement of Vogue magazines in January 1956, he then gained himself a twelve month contract with British Vogue and then left for London in 1957. After leaving the magazine he went to work for French and German magazines, by then gaining a high repertoire and status to return to Melbourne with a contract for Australian Vogue in 1959.
His style was seen erotic, stylized scenes, often with sado-masochistic and fetishistic subtexts. Over the years he settled in Paris, 1961 and continued as a fashion photographer, with his works being published in French Vogue and Harpers Bazaar.
