All images © Marilyn Stafford, courtesy of Bluecoat Press
Marilyn Stafford: A Life in Photography spans the pioneering fashion photographer’s career across several continents, whose work often surprised and challenged her own sensibilities
Marilyn Stafford’s remarkable career began with an extraordinary opportunity to shoot stills of Albert Einstein in 1948. What followed was a life of travel, exploration, and an eclectic body of work spanning decades and continents. From photographing celebrities like Twiggy and Henri Cartier-Bresson to documenting marginalised communities and global socio-political events, Stafford’s career was marked by her keen eye for human emotion and a lens on the zeitgeist of her era.
Born in Depression-era Cleveland, Ohio, Stafford’s early life was shaped by a blend of artistic aspiration and social awareness. Influenced by Dorothea Lange’s haunting images of Dust Bowl refugees, she initially set her sights on a Broadway career. However, after arriving in New York in 1947, a chance encounter led her to photograph Einstein for an anti-atomic weapons documentary – a moment that redirected her path toward photography.
In 1949, Stafford moved to Paris during a pivotal time in fashion history. Haute couture was giving way to ready-to-wear clothing, and Stafford recognised the accessibility this shift offered to women photographers. She began capturing the early off-the-peg collections of designers such as Givenchy and Chanel. In tandem with her unconventional spirit, Stafford preferred the streets of Paris over traditional fashion studios, creating images that blended high fashion with the vibrancy of everyday life. Her work offered a rare glimpse into post-war Paris, where high-fashion, elite elegance met the realities of urban life.
“Photographers don’t grow old, they simply become out of focus”
Stafford’s time in Paris wasn’t limited to fashion. Her explorations led her to discover the neighbourhood of Cité Lesage-Bullourde, a marginalised community slated for demolition. Through her photographs, she documented the daily lives of its residents, preserving a poignant moment in the city’s history.
Stafford’s empathy and curiosity drew her to global stories often overlooked by mainstream media. During the Algerian War of Independence, she traveled to Tunisia to document the plight of Algerian refugees. Six months pregnant at the time, Stafford captured the harrowing realities of life in the camps. Her photographs, including a striking image of a mother cradling her child, were published on the front page of The Observer, sparking international attention to French colonial brutality.
In the early 1970s, Stafford’s work took her to India, where she photographed Indira Gandhi, the country’s first female prime minister. This encounter ignited a lifelong fascination with India and its people. She later documented the lives of the Ghotul Muria and Warli tribes, offering an intimate view of communities often unseen by the world. Her travels also took her to Lebanon, where she captured moments of peace and everyday life in a country which was teetering between bursts of civil conflict and invasion. From shopkeepers to wedding celebrations, Stafford’s images reflected the richness of Lebanese society.
Throughout her career, Stafford often used fashion photography as a means to support her more personal and humanitarian projects. Her fashion work, characterised by wit and spontaneity, was groundbreaking. She deliberately subverted traditional norms, taking models out of glamorous salons and placing them in the chaotic streets of Paris. One iconic image features a model leaning on an umbrella in front of the Louvre, her stiletto heels dangling from her hand – a playful yet profound commentary on the collision of elegance and reality.
Stafford’s humanitarian focus extended beyond her camera. In 2017, she founded the Marilyn Stafford FotoReportage Award, a social documentary photography award for women. The award, created in collaboration with FotoDocument, highlights projects that address social or environmental issues through a lens of positivity and solutions.
Stafford had a unique ability to connect with her subjects, whether photographing children in Paris, cultural icons like Édith Piaf and Twiggy, or survivors of war in Bangladesh. Her mentor, Henri Cartier-Bresson, taught her to see the “geometry of light” and how to become “invisible” on the streets, but Stafford’s larger Rolleiflex camera often drew attention. This didn’t deter her; instead, she used it to build rapport and capture candid, intimate moments.
Her images, often compared to those of Helen Levitt, showcase the extraordinary within the everyday. A photograph of children playing in Cité Lesage-Bullourde, for example, captures their theatrical antics and defiant joy amid a backdrop of poverty. Another striking image of a child carrying a bottle of milk reveals layers of resilience and vulnerability.
Marilyn Stafford passed away on 02 January, 2023, at the age of 97. Despite her self-deprecating humor – often referring to herself as a “jobber” rather than an artist – her work continues to inspire and affirm the power of photography to make a difference. The publication of Marilyn Stafford: A Life in Photography and its revised edition, along with retrospectives such as the one at the Akron Art Museum near her hometown, underscore her lasting influence.
Stafford once remarked that “photographers don’t grow old, they simply become out of focus”, yet her legacy remains crystal clear. After the success of their first edition, the book has been reprinted by Bluecoat Press. Now spanning over 250 pages with new and unseen photographs, this book remains the only one to feature Stafford’s life’s work.
