A member of the international blue-blooded elite in fin-de-siècle Europe, Baron Adolf de Meyer (1868–1946) became famous for his innovative and extraordinarily modern fashion photography. Fellow shutterbug Cecil Beaton once dubbed him the ‘Debussy of the Camera’, because of his dazzling portraits of well-known personalities that were all famous during his day. American socialite Rita de Acosta Lydig; art patron and designer Count Étienne de Beaumont; society hostess Lady Ottoline Morrell; and celebrated entertainer Josephine Baker are among those who have been captured by de Meyer, who transformed already-glamorous lives into out-of-this-world fantasy.
After starting in photography as an amateur, at the outbreak of the First World War Paris-born and German-educated de Meyer settled in the United States, and later helped define fashion photography during the interwar period. The Met Fifth Avenue’s upcoming exhibition of his artwork was organised by Beth Saunders, Assistant Curator in The Met's Department of Photographs, and is the first museum exhibition devoted to the artist in more than 20 years. Some 40 works will reveal the aristocrat’s splendid connections and exceptional talent.
