Marilyn Stafford: Stories in Pictures

Marilyn Stafford: Boulogne Ballincourte V Paris 1950

Photo-journalist Marilyn Stafford was born in Cleveland Ohio, in 1925 and now lives in West Sussex.
Her photographic career began in New York in 1948 when she was asked to photograph Albert Einstein for friends who were making a documentary about him. 

In December 1948 Marilyn moved to Paris here she met Edith Piaf and also became friends with Robert Capa and during this period she was also introduced to Henri Cartier-Bresson who encouraged her photographic career. 

Marilyn photographed the neighbourhoods of the Bastille and Boulogne-Billancourt and her images of children from Cité Lesage-Bullourde near the Place de la Bastille are a very rare insight into the street children living in one of  the city's  notorious slums. 

In 1958 Marilyn Stafford travelled to Tunisia to document the Algerian refugees fleeing France's 'Scorched Earth' attacks.

In the mid-sixties Marilyn Stafford settled in London, where, along with Fay Godwin, Sally Soames, and Jane Bown she helped  pave the way for future female photographers working on Fleet Street.

Marilyn Staffords commitment to supporting female documentary photographers continues today with the launch of the Marilyn Stafford FotoReportage Award Launched in Spring 2017 in Association with FotoDocument.

Marilyn Stafford: Edith Piaf Paris 1950

Marilyn Stafford: Pret A Porter II, Place Vendome Paris 1950

Some of the negatives have been lost, but thanks to modern technology Robin Bell the renowned darkroom printer has created new negs and printed these historically important images for the first time in 67 years, creating an edition of silver gelatin prints.

The exhibition also features Marilyn’s pioneering photographs, where, for the first time, she took models out of the studio and chic salons into the streets of Paris, using a photo-documentary style to her fashion shots. 

Marilyn Stafford 
Stories in Pictures
1950-1960
27 June - 8 July 

Art Bermondsey Project Space
183-185 Bermondsey Street
London SE1 3UW

Marilyn Sstafford - Paris slums

Marilyn Sstafford: Algerian Refugee Mother 2 Tunisa 1958.