George Hurrell

By the time he was eight, George Hurrell had developed an interest in painting and drawing. He fell into photography almost by accident, originally learning how to use a camera so that he could photograph his paintings. Hurrell moved west hoping to continue his art studies. Before long, however, taking pictures took the place of painting pictures as he found more work shooting portraits. Hurrell’s reputation grew rapidly through word of mouth. Hurrell photographed every star, including Joan Crawford, Clark Gable and Greta Garbo. His work set a new standard for Hollywood portraits. It even inspired a new name for the genre - glamour photography. Hurrell left MGM to set up his own studio on Sunset Boulevard. The stars flocked to Hurrell for portraits. After service with the First Motion Picture Unit of the U.S. Army Air Force, Hurrell returned to Hollywood, but later relocated to New York, where he continued shooting advertising and fashion layouts through the 50’s. He worked shooting celebrity portraits until his death in 1992.

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