Eve Arnold HRSA
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Russian-Jewish parents, Eve Arnold’s passion for photography began in 1946, whilst working at Kodak’s New Jersey photo-finishing plant. In 1948, despite her parents' disapproval, Arnold left medicine to pursue an education in photography. Over a six-week course, studying over Alexey Brodovitch (Harper's Bazaar art director) at the New School for Social Research in Manhattan, Arnold produced her first photographic collection. The series, documenting Harlem’s vibrant fashion world, was published in the London Illustrated Picture Post in 1951.
In 1957, Arnold became the first woman to become a full member of Magnum Photos, a renowned photography agency specialising in documentary photography. Over the following decades of her career, Arnold produced a diverse body of work for magazines. Arnold photographed people from all social, cultural and political backgrounds, becoming known for both celebrity portraiture and recording the rarely documented stories within ex-Soviet Union, Mongolia, China and the Middle East.
Arnold was driven by an insatiable curiosity and a commitment to humanity, seeking to capture the story of each individual she photographed. Using naturalistic lighting, candid poses and minimal embellishments, Arnold established a simplistic, authentic artistic style that presented an objective record of a person, place or moment. Arnold covered a wide range of social and political events with this stark, stripped-back focus, shining light on injustices across the world, such as the Black Power Movement, Civil Rights in the USA, and the position of women in society.
During a time of severe underrepresentation for women photojournalists, Arnolds established herself as a singular talent in the industry, remembered a pioneering figure of 20th century photography. Arnold received several photographic and literary awards across her career. In 1995, New York’s International Centre of Photography elected Arnold as Master Photographer of the Royal Photographic Society. In 1997, Arnold was awarded with honorary degrees by the University of St Andrews, Staffordshire University, and the American International University in London.
Arnold was made an Honorary member of the Royal Scottish Academy in 2010.
