Amazing Collection of Jeffrey M. Kaplan Will Be Presented by Phillips

Phillips announced Flash: British Photographers, Works from the Collection of Jeffrey M. Kaplan, Washington D.C. On view in Phillips’ Park Avenue, Galleries from 17 – 29 August, this exhibition brings together works by some of the most well-recognized British photographers, whose photographs graced the pages of publications such as The Sunday Times, British Vogue, Queen, and Harper’s Bazaar. The entirety of the exhibition was generously loaned by Jeffrey M. Kaplan of Washington D.C. and includes the photographers Terence Donovan, Cecil Beaton, Terry O’Neill, and Lord Snowdon, among others.

Vanessa Hallett, Phillips’ Deputy Chairman and Worldwide Head of Photographs, said, “We are delighted to host Flash: British Photographers in our Park Avenue galleries and we are grateful for Mr. Kaplan’s generosity in loaning these photographs. The artists included in this exhibition have come to help define the visual culture of the 20th century, both in the UK and beyond, particularly during the 1950s and 1960s. The works showcase fashion, celebrity, and landscape through the British lens, giving viewers in New York the privilege of experiencing first-hand these attractive images.”

Jeffrey M. Kaplan graduated from University of Michigan having studied English Literature and Art History, followed by Yale Law School. He was a legislative assistant to congressman Ben Rosenthal, and in his thirties chose to devote his full attention to all things cultural. Kaplan was passionate in his study of art, and ultimately, the artworks he collected, not limiting himself to a specific medium or theme. Cataloguing the collection was also a priority, and Kaplan personally curated and regularly rehung his works. As a result, he ultimately created his own museum within his residence – a unique space he generously shared with his family, friends, and guests.

Flash : British Photographers represents just a small portion of the photographs in Jeffrey M. Kaplan’s collection, and a larger selection will be offered at auction on 3 October 2017 and in April 2018 in New York.

Highlights from the Exhibition
Cecil Beaton (1904–1980) was a highly celebrated British photographer who is known for taking portraits of the colorful celebrities who composed London’s fashionable social scene in the early- to mid- 20th century. In 1931 he spent time in Hollywood amongst the glitter and glamour of Hollywood film stars. And later, in the late 1950s and 1960s, Beaton was involved in film as a stage and costume designer having worked on the stage version of My Fair Lady (New York, 1956; London, 1958), and designs for the film Gigi (1958). Works included in this exhibition include portraits of Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, Marlene Dietrich, and HRH Queen Elizabeth II, in 1942 prior to her coronation.

Terry O’Neill (b. 1938) has documented the great pop legends of the 20th century since the 1960s. He began shooting with a 35mm film camera that offered a distinctly candid and more casual approach to photography. With this camera, O’Neill was able to create photographs discreetly, candidly, and spontaneously, with less distance between him and his subjects. Works by O’Neill in this exhibition include photographs of Jean Shrimpton and Terence Stamp, Paul McCartney, and Brigitte Bardot.

From the early 1950s, Lord Snowdon (Anthony Armstrong-Jones) (1930–2017) established a reputation as a celebrated portrait photographer, having captured subjects ranging from the royal family to public and society figures, actors, dancers, writers, and musicians. In 1960, he married Princess Margaret, daughter of King George VI and sister of Queen Elizabeth II, ennobling him as Lord Snowdon. Today, a large body of his oeuvre can be found within the National Portrait Gallery collection in London. Five works by Lord Snowdon from Mr. Kaplan’s collection will be on view in the exhibition.