Abbe

James (1883-1973). American photographer. A versatile artist, he devoted himself to cinematography, working with the great director D. W. Griffith in Hollywood. During the 1920s he moved to Paris where he began to work in fashion (with a certain preference for the clothes of Patou), showing a very personal style characterized by natural light and the use of mirrors to illuminate areas of shadow. Like other photographers of the time, he used theater and movie actresses as models. His pictures, at once both simple and refined, were published by Vogue France, Vogue America, Harper’s Bazaar, L’Officiel de la Couture, Fémina, and Vanity Fair. During the 1930s his attention shifted to photo reportage and he produced important photo features during the Spanish Civil War and the Second World War. He also took the first official portrait of Stalin.