Audrey Hepburn in photographs

The UKs number one selling new photography title of 2002 will be re-launching this spring, celebrating the 50th anniversary of photographer Bob Willoughbys first shoot with Audrey Hepburn and coinciding with a major documentary on Lifetime Television.

In his distinguished career as Hollywood photographer, Bob Willoughby has taken some of the benchmark photographs of Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, Jane Fonda and Judy Garland.

But Bob is unequivocal about who his favourite subject was: Edda van Heemstra Hepburn-Ruston, also known as Audrey Hepburn.

*AUDREY: AN INTIMATE COLLECTION by Bob Willoughby
*Re-launch in the USA March 2003 by Vision On, priced $29.95 soft back
*Collectors edition & 25% discount available at www.vobooks.com

Willoughby was called in to shoot a new starlet one morning in '53 - exactly fifty years ago this year. It was a humdrum commission for the magazine photographer now credited with having virtually invented the photo-journalistic motion picture still, but when he met the gamine Belgian beauty, Willoughby was enraptured. He recalls: "She took my hand like...well, a princess, and dazzled me with that smile that God designed to melt mortal men's hearts".

This collection includes both iconic portraits as well as stunning images that have never been published before.

As Hepburn's career soared upwards following her US debut in 'Roman Holiday' Willoughby became a trusted friend, framing her working and home life. His historic, perfectionist, tender photographs seek out the many facets to Hepburn's beauty and elegance as she progresses from her debut to the career high of 'My Fair Lady' in '63.

She exuded some magic warmth that was hers alone. Happily our lives would intersect many times over the years we knew each other. Our first born would celebrate their first birthdays together, and I would photograph her in many places in the world.

While many of my photographs of Audrey are well known, they have never before been put together as a collection. I would like this book to be my salute to that magic sprite. A forest creature - who before ones eyes could transform herself into a princess. A rare human being, whom I respected and loved."

Willoughby's images, showing her on set, preparing for a scene, interacting with actors and directors and returning to her private self, comprise one of photography's great platonic love affairs and an unrivalled record of one of last century's touchstone beauties.

Including interviews with Bob Willoughby throughout.

For image, interview and book requests, please contact Sarah Marusek at SMPR     - E.
sarahmarusek@smpublicrelations.com
- T. 718 789 1955

Editors Notes:

Bob Willoughby

Bob Willoughby is one of the supreme American iconographers. The Los Angeles photographer began documenting Hollywood feature films at the start of the 50s and over the following decades, created many of the classic images of the great movie stars. Willoughby was on set through several eras of exalted actors and seminal movies. He worked on 120 plus feature films, including 'A Star Is Born', 'From Here To Eternity', 'My Fair Lady', 'The Graduate', 'The Lion In Winter, 'Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, 'Rosemarys Baby, 'They Shoot Horses Dont they? and 'Klute'. His studies of James Dean, Richard Burton, Peter O'Toole, John Wayne, Marilyn Monroe, Barbra Streisand, Frank Sinatra and Audrey Hepburn are definitive cultural reference points. Away from the movie set he's recognized globally as one of the pre-eminent magazine photographers of the time. His work has been exhibited in over 500 museums in 53 countries and is held in the permanent collections of The Museum of Modern Art, New York. The National Portrait Gallery, Washington, D.C., The National Portrait Gallery, London, The National Museum of Photography, Bradford, Musee de la Photographie, Charleroi, Belgium, and The Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris.