Lee Miller: A Photographer at Work (1932–1945)

September 11–December 7, 2024
Main Gallery
Curator: Gaëlle Morel

This exhibition explores one of the most intense and productive chapters in the professional life of American photographer Lee Miller. Between 1932 and 1945 Miller was simultaneously a renowned portrait photographer running her own studio in New York (1932—1934), a photographer for perfume and cosmetic brands in advertising (1932—1945), and a fashion photographer and war correspondent for the British edition of Vogue (1939—1945). This short time span encompasses a rich history in which the photographer moved between and linked her various practices. Miller’s diverse professional activities, and the ease with which she stepped from one context to another, reveal a photographer whose work was defined primarily by its exchange and commercial value. Lee Miller, A Photographer at Work reveals the inner dynamics of managing a photography career amid the myriad challenges facing professional women at the time. The exhibition offers a rich and complex portrait of this important figure, previously known best for her collaboration with American artist Man Ray and her close ties to the Surrealist movement of the 1920s.

Organized in collaboration with the Lee Miller Archives, England.
Originally produced and presented during Les Rencontres d’Arles, France, 2022.

This event has been financially assisted by the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund, a program of the Government of Ontario through the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming, administered by the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund Corporation.

Public Programming

Opening Party
Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024
6–8 p.m.

Special Exhibition Tour
Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024
6 p.m.

In Conversation: Antony Penrose and Gaëlle Morel
Monday, Sept. 30, 2024
7 p.m.

Special Exhibition Tour
Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024
6 p.m.

Exhibition Partners

Media Sponsor

Fig. 1

Lee Miller, Hats, London, England, 1939, chromogenic print (printed 2023) © Lee Miller Archives

Bios

Lee Miller

Lee Miller (1907 – 1977) entered the photography world in New York as a model to the great photographers of the day such as STEICHEN, HOYNINGEN-HUENE and GENTHE. In 1929 she went to Paris and worked with Man RAY quickly succeeding in establishing her own studio. Returning to New York in 1932, she set up her own studio for 2 years that was highly successful. In 1937 she met Roland PENROSE and in December 1942 she became a correspondent accredited to the US Army. She followed the US troops overseas and was probably the only woman combat photo-journalist to cover the front line war in Europe. Among her many exploits she witnessed the siege of St Malo, Liberation of Paris, fighting in Alsace and the liberation of Buchenwald and Dachau but it is mainly for the witty Surrealist images which permeate all her work that she is best remembered.

Gaëlle Morel

Gaëlle Morel has been the Exhibitions Curator at The Image Centre since 2010, during which time she has curated dozens of exhibitions and written and edited numerous publications. Her latest projects include Stories from the Picture Press: Black Star Publishing Co. & The Canadian Press; Mary Ellen Mark: Ward 81; and Lee Miller, a Photographer at Work (1932-1945). In 2009, Morel was the guest curator of the photography biennial, Le Mois de la Photo à Montréal. She is currently an instructor in the Film + Photography Preservation and Collections Management graduate program at Toronto Metropolitan University. Morel holds a PhD in the History of Contemporary Photography from Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne.

Installation Shots