Artist Information
Artist
Baron (Sterling Henry Nahum) (1906-1956)Role
PhotographerDate made
1954Time Period
20th CenturyNotes
PHOTOGRAPHER BIOGRAPHY
Born in Manchester, U.K., Sterling Henry Nahum, known professionally as Baron, was a renowned society, arts and court photographer portraying dancers, writers, musicians, foreign dignitaries, designers and more. Initiating his career in his thirties, he first found recognition for his pictures of the ballet. As a friend of Prince Philip he was appointed a Court Photographer to the British Royal Family, taking official photographs for numerous events such as the 1947 wedding of Philip to the then Princess Elizabeth, the christenings of their children Charles and Anne and other occasions.
Baron’s first publication, “Baron at The Ballet” (1950), covered his work as a photographer of ballet (1935 to 1950) and is considered one of the most comprehensive collections of ballet photographs featuring nearly 300 photos, as well as sections illustrating, describing and assessing the work of many famous ballet companies. Baron also made television appearances, doing popular short talks on camera basics. In 1954 Baron traveled to New York to promote his second ballet book “Baron Encore”, and there, he was requested by London’s Sunday Graphic (backed by Life magazine) to visit Hollywood to photograph the most glamorous women of film. As a guest of Hollywood’s leading socialite, Harry Crocker, Baron photographed numerous film stars such as Elizabeth Taylor, Leslie Caron and Marilyn Monroe.
In 1954, he founded Baron Studios in London's upscale Mayfair district, doing commissioned portraits, mainly of leading businessmen. Among the photographers who worked for Baron Studios were Count Zichy and Rex Coleman. The firm continued after Baron's untimely death in 1956 until its purchase in 1974 by photographer Godfrey Argent (1937-2006), who donated the Baron collection of negatives to U.K.'s National Portrait Gallery in 1999.
