1920-2004
Helmut Newton was a German-Australian Photographer.
Helmut Newton was the son of a wealthy button-manufacturer and had a privileged childhood. He was expelled from school when his fascination with photography caused him to underachieve. Newton then undertook an apprenticeship with photographer Elsie Simon but was forced to flee because of the Nazi Regime.
Newton’s parents secured him a place on a ship to China where he worked for the Straits Times newspaper for just two weeks. Around this time Newton became romantically involved with an older woman, who took him traveling around the British colony before he eventually settled in Australia. Helmut then joined the Australian army and soon after married June Browne, with whom he would stay with for 50 years – until his death in 2004.
Newton set up a small photo studio in Melbourne and rapidly gained popularity and recognition. He began contributing fashion photographs to French Vogue, the magazine that was to make his career for a quarter of a century.
