Louise Dahl-Wolfe 1895-1989
By Katie Bono
“Suzy Parker by the Seine Costume by Balenciaga” (1953) by Louise Dahl-Wolfe
Louise Dahl-Wolfe was a pioneer in fashion photography and one of the most influential photographers in the genre during the early 20th century. Dahl-Wolfe was born on November 19, 1895 to Norwegian immigrant parents. She attended the California School of Fine Arts in 1914 and was on track to pursue a painting career but reportedly ended up on a photography track after being told her painting was “the essence of superficiality” by one of her instructors. Her art historical training did affect the compositions of her photography - she was able to deftly work with color and line to produce simple and streamlined work. Dahl-Wolfe was well known for shooting outdoors in natural light and from 1927-28 she traveled and photographed in Europe and North Africa where her style became more developed. Throughout her career, Dahl-Wolfe continued to shoot outdoors all over the world. In 1928 she married the sculptor Meyer Wolfe and moved to Tennesse with him in 1932. In 1936 Dahl-Wolfe was hired by Harper’s Bazaar and over her 22 years there she shot 86 covers and published thousands of other photographs.
During the 1930s, fashion photography was briefly dominated by women - Dahl-Wolfe was integral in transitioning the genre out of formal portraiture with her more candid shots of women. She had an excellent understanding of the female gaze and was well positioned to capture not just how clothing fell on women but also how the contemporary woman interacted with the world around her. In her 1953 “Suzy Parker by the Seine” photograph there is an effortless elegance that coincides with the Parisian backdrop. The model is there to be seen but maintains agency in her stance and how she grips her clothing. The female gaze in this instance is used to reject the idea of feminine passivity. Dahl-Wolfe’s understanding of the female form meant that her photographs took on what would be considered a modern quality. In “Night Bathing,” (1939) the woman photographed mirrors a Venus-like sculpture by a pool. It is impressive both in terms of her ability to execute nighttime photography and in its composition. Dahl-Wolfe was also the photographer who “discovered” Lauren Bacall - after she shot her for the cover of Harper’s, Bacall skyrocketed to stardom. Other notable cover shoots were the June cover in 1953 which exemplifies Dahl-Wolfe’s understanding of color photography - the woman kneeling in bright yellow exerts effortless confidence in front of a colorful tile background in a simple yet coordinated shot.
Dahl-Wolfe did more than perpetuate the image of the independent woman in photography - she was a strong persona in her own right. Dahl-Wolfe famously walked out on a photoshoot with Hedy Lamar, color corrected her own prints, and maintained a unique eccentric fashion sense. Most significantly, her leaving Harper’s Bazaar was prompted by a new director trying to change her artistic direction and rather than adhering, Dahl-Wolfe chose to freelance for two years before eventually retiring in 1960. During her freelance period, she leaned into portrait photography and worked for Vogue Fashion photography made its way into mainstream pop culture in the 1960s post-war era and at this point many female photographers were pushed out of the industry. Her two decades at Harper’s Bazaar defined the magazine and her naturalistic style continues to shape the magazine’s output. Louise Dahl-Wolfe’s photography emulates a celebration of womanhood - she embodied the independent American woman in all aspects and exerted a lasting influence on fashion photography.
Bibliography
Ahmed, Osman. “Louise Dahl-Wolfe, Pioneer of the 'Female Gaze'.” The Business of Fashion, October 21, 2017. https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/news-analysis/louise-dahl-wolfe-pioneer-of-the-female-gaze.
Holland, Oscar. “Louise Dahl-Wolfe: The Pioneering Photographer Who Changed Fashion.” CNN. Cable News Network, October 25, 2017. https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/louise-dahl-wolfe-a-style-of-her-own/index.html.
Noguchi, Isamu. “Louise Dahl-Wolfe.” Center for Creative Photography. https://ccp.arizona.edu/artists/louise-dahl-wolfe.
Schwiegershausen, Erica. “A Legendary Fashion Photographer, Revisited.” The New York Times, April 20, 2016. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/20/t-magazine/fashion/fashion-photographer-louise-dahl-wolfe-book.html.