The official website of photography legend George Hurrell. Biography, Photo Gallery, Blog, Store, Licensing and Permissions, and skin care products.

George Edward Hurrell was born on June 1, 1904 in Cincinnati, Ohio. His father, Edward, was born there too, of English and Irish parents. His paternal grandfather had come from Essex, England where the family had been successful shoe manufacturers for several centuries.

George Hurrell at Malcolm St. Clair’s Hillside Cottage in 1925 George Hurrell arrives at Laguna Beach 1925 George Hurrell playing a record George Sr. sketching George Hurrell at the beach in 1925 The floor plans to George Hurrell’s studio Closeup women’s dress shop ...

The book, “The Hurrell Style” is published by the John Day Company. 1980: Hurrell starts to set auction records for vintage photographs from the 1930’s. Hurrell Portfolio I, limited editions, is published. Prints from the edition quickly realize $1,100 – $1,300 at various auction houses.

Hurrell’s training as a painter, his enhanced understanding of lighting, exposure, composition and contrast, all helped to make his photos “stand out.” Hurrell brought an undeniable style and sophistication to each sitting, whether it was with an established star or a young contract player on the road to fame, or obscurity for that matter.

Greta Garbo remains one of the most famous names in cinema history. In April 1930, when Hurrell took these photos of her, she was the highest paid female star in the world, the most powerful star in the world, and, unfortunately was not in the best mood that day.

Besides, Pancho loved the glamorous photos that Hurrell had taken of her and her favorite horse, and secretly believed that Hurrell’s destiny was in photography. And so, at Pancho’s urging, Ramon Novarro had a series of photographs taken by George Hurrell.

George Edward Hurrell (1904 – 1992) is credited with developing the glamour idiom in photography and creating the standard for the idealized Hollywood glamour portrait. He invented the boom light, and is credited with developing other innovative lighting and darkroom techniques.

George Hurrell told me that, next to Joan Crawford, he probably shot more film on Dorothy Jordan than any other early MGM star. Dorothy Jordan did not make the transition to sound film. However she did have a very happy life.

Novarro showed the photos that Hurrell took of him to his best friend back at MGM who was having problems of a different sort. Her name was Norma Shearer, who was married to the head of production at MGM – Irving Thalberg.