Avedon: something personal

Richard Avedon was arguably the world's most famous photographer - as artistically influential as he was commercially successful.

Over the course of six richly productive decades, he created landmark advertising campaigns, iconic fashion photographs (as the star photographer for Harper's Bazaar then Vogue), groundbreaking books and unforgettable portraits of everyone who was anyone.

He also went on the road to find and photograph remarkable faces across America.

As a personality, Avedon outdazzled many of his glamorous subjects.

He possessed a mystique so unique it was itself a kind of genius - everyone fell under his spell.

But the Richard Avedon the world saw was perhaps his greatest creation: he ruthlessly curated and controlled his own image, yet remained, despite all his exposure, one of the most guarded and private of celebrities.