The National Portrait Gallery in Washington features portraits from Hollywood's golden age taken by George Hurrell, one of MGM's first set photographers.
Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, Marlene Dietrich, Jean Harlow, John Barrymore, Spencer Tracy, Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, Clark Gable, Claudette Colbert, James Wong Howe… He immortalized the greatest stars of Hollywood's golden age. He was George Hurrell (1904-1992), and this is what the National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian Institution in Washington invite us to discover through "Star Power," a selection of recently acquired portraits from the 1930s and 1940s. This Cincinnati native was one of the main purveyors of glamour and celebrity aura who shaped the beginnings of Hollywood. Bring out the best, hide the worst, and leave something to the imagination. "Such was the leitmotif of the man who, at the age of 25, was hired as a set photographer in the advertising department of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM).
AT THE HEIGHT OF GLORY
In 1930, the studio, founded six years earlier, already boasted of having "more stars than in heaven," as Ann M. Shumard, senior curator of photographs, recalls. Hollywood's promotional machine owes much of its success to the incessant flow of portraits produced by the in-house photographers of the major studios. »
George Hurrell's photographic artworks, exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery, fueled public interest with each film release, capturing the brilliance of cinematic icons. For two decades, this pioneer reigned supreme.
Through artistic poses, innovative lighting effects, compositional techniques, and subtle retouching, he influenced the standards of beauty and glamour, developing a unique style that defined the public image of each star. There was drama and love every day " he explained at the time, adding: " The stars had striking faces and vibrant personalities. They were truly glamorous people, and that was the image I wanted to convey. »
FROM MAJORS TO INDEPENDENCE
In 1933, however, George Hurrell decided to open his own studio on Sunset Boulevard, tired of MGM's directives which constantly altered the images. His independence allowed him to regain his freedom and also work with other companies, without exclusivity, until 1938.
He then worked briefly as a cinematographer for Warner Bros. before signing a contract with Columbia in 1942, at their new studio located on Rodeo Drive. During World War II, while serving in the Air Force, he collaborated with a military film production unit and shot portraits of generals at the Pentagon.
Meanwhile, antitrust rulings reduced studio control over the names, physical appearances, and images of stars. By the mid-20th century, television in homes was challenging the big screen, while snapshots were replacing large-format studio portraits. For George Hurrell, the "golden age" was over. Nevertheless, the influence of this pioneer extended far beyond the Hollywood sphere.
“STAR POWER: PHOTOGRAPHS FROM HOLLYWOOD’S GOLDEN AGE”
NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY
8TH AND G STREETS NW, WASHINGTON, DC (USA)
UNTIL JANUARY 4, 2026
NPG.SI.EDU
