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Twenty of Ron Galella’s photographs taken at New York’s Pierre Hotel can now be seen exhibited in the lobby. The stunning 20 x 24, black & white images are presented publicly, un-cropped, in their original full frames many for the first time, culled from Galella’s unprecedented archive. This permanent exhibit is open to the public and can be accessed from the hotel’s 61st street or Fifth Avenue entrances. The exhibit opened hours after his passing at age 91.
(New York - May 2022) New York’s Pierre Hotel has collected twenty, black & white images, gloriously reproduced, many for the first time, culled from Galella’s unprecedented archive. The photographs are presented publicly here for the first time, un-cropped, in their original full frames.
The exhibit features behind-the-scenes images of some the Pierre’s most celebrated events - Icons of fashion, the silver screen, cilvil rights, popular music and art. Jacqueline Onassis, Barbra Streisand, Sidney Poitier. John Cazale, Al Pacino & Meryl Streep, Sophia Loren, Princess Margaret, Andy Warhol, Joan Collins, Carol Channing, Ruby Keeler, and Comedian George Burns, Pioneering African American singer Marian Anderson and pop idol Marie Osmond. Designers; Valentino, Yves Saint Laurent , Pierre Cardin, Diane Von Furstenberg, Lauren Bacall & Diana Vreeland, and fashion models Maryse Gaspard, Lois Chiles, Basha and more.
Included is Galella’s heartbreaking photo of John Cazale, taken sixteen months before the beloved The Godfather and Dog Day Afternoon actor's death. Al Pacino’s exuberance in stark contrast to the somber expression of Cazale and fiancé actress Meryl Streep, is just one highlights in the collection.
Included is Galella’s heartbreaking 1976 photo of John Cazale taken at Lee Strasberg’s 75th Birthday party. Al Pacino’s exuberance in stark contrast to the somber expression of Cazale and fiancé actress Meryl Streep, is just one highlights in the collection. The widely reproduced photograph is presented here for the first time, un-cropped, in its original full frame. The couple met less than a mile away in Central Park in 1976 in Shakespeare in the Park’s “Measure for Measure.” The photo was taken sixteen months before the beloved The Godfather and Dog Day Afternoon actor's death of lung cancer at the age of 42.
They are, according to Ron's manifesto, the perfect Galella photographs, iconic people caught unrehearsed, off-guard, spontaneous in his inimitable style.
These images represent only a fraction of the thousands of photographs from dozens of events Mr. Galella photographed at the Pierre thoughout his nearly sixty-year career. A hotel, he says, that is one of the “classiest!"
His unique shooting style — pre-focusing his camera at 6 feet, set at F8, without looking through the camera’s viewfinder, holding the camera near his chest — was done in order to establish eye contact, an intimacy with his subjects.
“Instead of looking at a machine. Person to Person!” Galella explained.He often bounced his powerful Ascor flash off of the ceiling which produced soft-bounced light, creating intimate, unexpected portraits in public places. According to Mr. Galella, the hotel's design offered plenty of opportunity to use his technique, resulting in beautiful "natural light" you see in many of the photos on display.
Ron was delighted to have his photographs displayed at the iconic Pierre Hotel and in such a unique way. He spent countless hours inside the celebrated hotel creating the art that now adorns its lobby walls. This exhibit is especially moving considering its timing, going up literally hours after his passing at age 91. What a tribute.
Sophia Loren - (1982) A radiant Sophia Loren, bathed in beautiful, defused light, arrives at The Pierre. The reflection of photographer Ron Galella, and his powerful Ascor flash pointing up towards the ceiling instead of directly on the actress, can be seen in the revolving doors, revealing the secret to his bounced light technique captured in many of the striking images taken at the hotel.
THE PIERRE ANNOUNCES THE OPENING OF “CELEBRATIONS, CELEBRITIES & COUTURE AT THE PIERRE”
An Exhibition of Rare Photos Featuring the People, Parties and the Cachet of The Pierre by Famed Photographer Ron Galella
New York, NY. May 5, 2022 The Pierre, A NY Taj Hotel is pleased to announce the opening of an exclusive exhibit of photographs taken by “Paparazzo Extraordinaire” Ron Galella from 1967-1987. The exhibit which features many rare and never-before-seen photos from Ron Galella’s extensive archives is on view in the Fifth Avenue lobby and the 61st Street lobby, as well as various places throughout the hotel. The launch coincided with the 2022 Met Gala as an homage to the many celebrities and fashion elite who stay at The Pierre.
Celebrations, Celebrities & Couture At The Pierre features behind-the-scenes images of some the Pierre’s most celebrated events from 1967-1987 with icons of fashion, the silver screen, civil rights, popular music and art seen through the lens of photographer, Ron Galella. The Pierre was one of Ron Galella’s favorite locations to shoot NY society. The photographs are presented un-cropped in their original full frames as a testament to his life’s work.
“We are thrilled and honored to be able to showcase the brilliant work of Ron Galella. His nostalgic portraits capture the celebrations and glamour that are such an enormous part of The Pierre’s heritage,” says Francois-Olivier Luiggi, General Manager of The Pierre.
April 14, 2022. Working Up Until The End. Less than two weeks before his passing, photographer Ron Galella worked more than eight hours in The Great Room in his home in N.J. on captions for the Pierre Hotel exhibition, Celebrations, Celebrities & Couture at The Pierre which opened hours after he died. Ron worked doing what he loved, sharing his life’s work. Photo: © Geoffrey Croft
The exhibition includes 20 signed black and white photos of the likes of Valentino and a newly blonde Barbra Streisand leaving his extravagant “Scheherazade Fantasy” party; Lois Chiles and Yves Saint Laurent in a spontaneous moment; Bianca Jagger, Lauren Bacall & Diana Vreeland sharing a laugh; John Cazale, Al Pacino and Meryl Streep at a celebration for Lee Strasberg’s 75th birthday party in the Grand Ballroom; famed contralto Marian Anderson and Marie Osmond singing America the Beautiful at the conclusion of the Ladies Home Journal Woman of the Year Awards; Andy Warhol arriving for a “Ted Kennedy for President” fundraiser; Pierre Cardin promoting his wine and Sophia Loren returning to The Pierre after promoting her fragrance.
Other photos feature candid moments with Princess Margaret; Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis; Basha, Henry and Nancy Kissinger with Lewis Rudin; Clint Eastwood and girlfriend Sandra Locke; Joan Collins; and actress Carol Channing and Comedian George Burns.
Basha, Henry and Nancy Kissinger, with Lewis Rudin (1982). Wilhelmina model Basha Szymanska Rudin, is a picture of elegance wearing an original design, a magnificent 3-tiered-ruffle dress with heart shaped back at The Karen Horney Clinic Social Conscience Award Honoring former Senator Abraham Robicoff. Basha’s flair for fashion led her and her sister, Genevieve, to open Basha &, a successful high-end boutique on Madison Avenue between 71st and 72nd Streets, where she designed her clothing line.
May 2, 2022. Ron’s photos provide a wonderful backdrop for the hotels many elegant functions. Photo: Neil Tandy
Usage & Licensing
Ron’s body of work is currently made available for research and editorial use through Getty Images and their website at https://www.gettyimages.com/photos/ron-galella; authorized representatives are available via phone at +1 (646) 613 4000, OR +1 (800) 462-4379.