Born in San Francisco to a family of Norwegian immigrants, Louise Dahl-Wolfe (1895–1989) went on to become one of the most influential female photographers of the 20th century. Her retrospective ‘A Style of Her Own’ focuses on her years working as lead photographer for Harper’s Bazaar, from 1936 to 1958, alongside legendary fashion director Diana Vreeland and editor Carmel Snow: ‘From the moment I saw her first colour photographs,’ the latter has reminisced, ‘I knew Bazaar was at last going to look the way I had instinctively wanted.’ During this glorious run Dahl-Wolfe shot more than 600 colour plates, 2,000 black-and-white pictures and 86 covers, including the March 1943 cover that launched the career of Lauren Bacall; and, in so doing, helped to define the image and the spirit of the modern, independent-minded woman.

More information at: Fashion and Textile Museum