Archive of seven original jumbo oversize photographs and two contact sheets by Ara Gallant, circa 1970s-1980s

N.p.: N.p., 1980. Archive of seven vintage jumbo oversize photographs taken by noted fashion photographer Ara Gallant, with Gallant's copyright stamps on the versos, circa 1970s - 1980s. Archive includes three photographs of Jack Nicholson, two black and white and one color, one black-and-white photograph of Angelica Huston, one color photograph of Ingrid Boulting, one black-and-white photograph of Veruschka von Lehndorff, and one color photograph of Appolonia Van Ravenstein.

Also included are two vintage contact sheets, one featuring shots of Jack Nicholson seated in a leather chair, the other Geena Davis standing in a leather teddy and leather

Gallant began his career in high fashion as a hairstylist for "Vogue" in the early 1960s, becoming the first stylist to be paid solely to style hair by a magazine. He was best known for perfecting the "flying hair" technique, most memorably captured on a Richard Avedon portrait of Twiggy in 1968. During his tenure at "Vogue" he worked with a number of prominent photographers, including Avedon and Irving Penn, and his work was featured on 26 "Vogue" covers in total.

Gallant would begin working as a photographer in the 1970s, succeeding Sari Marks as staff photographer for the fashion magazine Ambiance. Gallant became well known around New York for his personal style as much as his photographs, sporting all black from head to toe, wearing high heeled cowboy boots and a Japanese schoolboy hat, lining his eyes with black kohl, and frequenting Andy Warhol's Studio 54. By the 1980s drug use and financial troubles would force Gallant to sell his apartment in the West End, relocating to Los Angeles, where he would pursue an ultimately unsuccessful career in the film industry before his untimely death in 1990. Gallant's work would enjoy a period of renewed interest after a collection of his styling and photographic work was published by Damiani in 2010, edited by David Wills.

Photographs: 14 x 17 inches to 16 x 20 inches. Color photographs mounted on board, one of which is archivally matted. Very Good plus to Near Fine overall, with color photographs evenly toned.