Alain Delon and Jane Fonda taking a look back from their smart 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider on the film set of "Les Felins" (Love Cage) or actors Henri Vidal and Philippe Nicaud leaning casually against a 958 Lancia Aurelia B20 Gran Turismo 2500: They are both beautiful, elegant and immaculate - the stars and their cars.
It is not always clear who is in the foreground in Edward Quinn's photographs: the celebrities from film, sport and culture. Or their breathtaking vehicles, which bear barely less prominent names: Ferrari, Aston Martin, Jaguar, Roll Royce, Porsche.
Edward Quinn was one of the master photographers in the 1950s star system. Hardly anyone understood how to capture the personality of great stars such as Grace Kelly and Brigitte Bardot, Peter Ustinov and Steve McQueen as well as paying homage to the dynamic forms of automotive beauties. When he photographs Jean Seberg in her 1953/55 Austin Healey 100-4 with its sweeping hood or Prince Aga Khan in his 1957-63 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster, the Irish photographer succeeds in creating hymns to the lust for speed and the zeitgeist of the 1950s that still inspire today.
Musician and photographer
Edward Quinn was born in Dublin in 1920. He worked for the French airline Chartair as a musician and photographer. In the 1950s, he moved to the south of France, to the Riviera. Nice, Saint Tropez, Cannes and Monte Carlo became his favorite places to stay and work. Edward Quinn photographed at film festivals and car races. He last lived in Altendorf in the canton of Schwyz, where he died in 1997.
Edward Quinn's photos show a world in which film studios were still dream factories and cars were magical machines. In the 1950s and 1960s, many manufacturers also offered "haute couture" versions to their financially strong customers: Chassis and engine came from the factory, a designer created a body tailored to the customer, which was finished by hand.
Exhibition until November 6, 2016
From August 25 to November 6, 2016, the ArteF Gallery at Splügenstrasse 11 in Zurich is presenting a selection of the stars and cars photographed by Edward Quinn on the French Riviera. In some of the pictures, the car is clearly the bigger star. In 1957, Quinn photographed the Swedish model Mona Arvidsson, who is now forgotten. Not so the car she is posing in front of: It is the 1954 Ferrari 375 MM coupé speciale Pininfarina "Bergman", chassis number 0456 AM, which Roberto Rosselini gave to his wife Ingrid Bergman. Incidentally, Bergman was not thrilled. The Ferrari was quickly sold again.
Further information can be found on the website of the ArteF Gallery.
