Lee Miller (1907-1977) - self portrait with headband

Lee Miller (1907-1977) "self portrait with headband" Brighton ca. 1932 (this portrait was shot to show the hair band which was made of a revolutionary new material called plastic. Lee used a half plate studio camera which could not focus at close range, so she had to shoot this full frame shot, and make an enlargement for the close-up)
Very rare limited PLATINUM edition (nr.6 of 30) Gelatin silver print "lee Miller archives" exclusive, lead-pencil signed edition Lee Miller Archive blind-stamp in the below right corner. Image measurements 21 x 26 cm (8.4 x 10.4 inches). Very good condition - sheet sizes: ca. 50x40cm (20 x 16 inches).
The last 10 platinum edition gelatine silver prints are still available at lee Miller archives. They sell for appr. 7500€ (8900$) each.


Born in 1907 in Poughkeepsie, New York, Lee Miller was exposed to photography at an early age. Her father Theodore Miller was an engineer and amateur photographer who taught Miller both the technical and creative aspects of photography. After attending Vassar College, Miller began modeling in the 1920s when she was discovered by Condé Nast, the publisher of Vogue. She soon became a sought-after model and muse for high-profile fashion photographers.

Growing discontent with life in front of the camera, Miller moved to Paris in 1929 where she began studying photography with Surrealist artist Man Ray. They developed a romantic relationship and collaborated closely. Together, they innovated techniques and created art that explored themes of the subconscious mind through unexpected imagery. A 1930 portrait of Lee Miller taken by Man Ray is part of the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery collection.

Miller died from cancer in 1977, and her son Anthony Penrose has been an instrumental force behind the preservation of her photographs and legacy. Several years after Miller’s death, Penrose and his late wife Suzanna created the Lee Miller Archives to catalog and display the attic full of unpublished material Miller left behind. His first book, The Lives of Lee Miller, has been adapted into a major motion picture, Lee, starring Kate Winslet as Lee Miller.