Hollywood Glamour Takes the Stage

In Los Angeles, Sid Avery’s Photos capture Celebrities Off-Screen
A collection of iconic photographs from Hollywood’s Golden Age has found a new home at the Los Angeles-based Dragonette Ltd. Photographer Sid Avery pioneered celebrity portraiture by capturing screen legends such as James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor, and Marlon Brando in impromptu, natural poses. Whether shot on classic film sets or at home, Avery’s work humanized his subjects by presenting them in unstaged moments that ranged from comic—Rock Hudson on the phone, wearing only a towel—to poignant—Elizabeth Taylor seated with her eyes shut, enjoying a breeze on the set of Giant. Ron Avery, the son of the late photographer and president of MPTV, which owns the images, describes the collaboration with Dragonette as “the perfect fit to have this imagery in Los Angeles…in a setting that is as beautiful as the subjects.” For showroom owner Patrick Dragonette, representing the Avery collection allows the pictures to be displayed in a more home-like setting among the mid-century furniture and contemporary productions of his firm’s own line. “No one lives like they are in an art gallery,” Dragonette explains, noting that the framed black-and-white images will hang throughout the space. Patrons may buy prints directly off the walls or order custom versions in an array of sizes. dragonetteltd.com