The ultimate and most comprehensive collection of Slim Aarons’s photography ever released, featuring more than 100 previously unpublished images

Foreword by Maria Cooper Janis

This luxe edition provides a deep and comprehensive look at the groundbreaking career of Slim Aarons, spanning five decades. The book begins with Slim’s fieldwork as an army photographer and continues through his fledgling days in Hollywood, opening the LIFE bureau in Rome, doing fashion and travel shoots for Holiday, and finally traveling the world for Town & Country.

With a new and definitive biographical essay, spotlights on key moments in his career, and exclusive insights from former associates, Slim Aarons: The Essential Collection gives readers an unprecedented look into Slim’s private world. The supervisor of Slim’s image archive, author Shawn Waldron’s text digs into the photographer’s biography in unprecedented detail and reveals new information, while award-winning journalist, historian, and New York Times bestselling author Lesley Blume provides historical context to Slim’s career. Additionally, Slim’s former assistant and author Laura Hawk reveals the intricacies of her friendship with Slim, and historian, author, and Vanity Fair contributing editor Nick Foulkes explores Slim’s influence on our current cultural moment.

After five previous books, Slim Aarons: The Essential Collection presents the best of the previous image collections, including hundreds of iconic black-and-white and color photos, along with more than 100 rare and previously unpublished works. This beautifully produced book, a tribute to Slim Aarons’s incredible contribution to modern photography, is the result of intensive scholarship and research, making it a must-have for any Slim fan and photography lover.

Includes Color Images

Slim Aarons (1916–2006) was among his generation’s most influential photographers. His photographs have appeared in countless magazines, including Town & Country, LIFE, and Holiday.

Shawn Waldron is an archivist and curator specializing in photography. Based in New York City, he oversees the Slim Aarons Archive and is curator of print sales and exhibitions at Getty Images. Prior to joining Getty Images, he was director of the Condé Nast Archive for more than a decade. Lesley Blume is an award-winning journalist, historian, and New York Times bestselling author. Laura Hawk is a freelance writer who worked closely with Slim Aarons for more than two decades. Nick Foulkes is a Vanity Fair contributing editor and the author of more than 25 books on art and history. Maria Cooper Janis was born in Los Angeles to parents Gary Cooper and Veronica Cooper. She is a successful artist, exhibiting paintings in the United States, Europe, and Asia.