Famous persons as seen by the photographer's eye.

• Author: Nesbitt, Elizabeth

There is a "subtle distinction between fame that is earned through real accomplishments and celebrity created in the eyes of an adoring public."

PHOTOGRAPHY has played a vital role in the depiction, reflection, and creation of fame since the process of making multiple prints from one negative was invented in the mid 19th century. This opened the door to the mass production and distribution of photographic images, thus making portraits of people available to a wide audience. Fame, in its turn, has had a profound effect on who and what is photographed and how the subjects are represented. According to Gordon Baldwin, Assistant Curator of Photographs at the J. Paul Getty Museum, Malibu, Calif., "With the invention of photography, fame acquired a precise visual aspect which changed its very nature."

An exhibition at the museum explores the relationship between fame and photography through portraits of celebrities of politics, literature, art, and

film. These pictures provide a fascinating visual record of more than a century of famous individuals through the photographer's eye.

The exhibition includes a tantalizing portrait of Gloria Swanson shot through black lace by Edward Steichen. Taken during the time Steichen was chief photographer for Conde Nast Publications, the picture imbues the legendary Hollywood actress with mystery and hidden allure through the concealment of her face.

The preeminent French portrait photographer of the 19th century, Nadar (Gaspard Felix Tournachon), photographed French writer George Sand (Aurore Dupin Dudevant) around 1865. Famous for her romantic novels, memoirs, plays, letters, and articles, Sand also was celebrated for her unorthodox mode of life. As a young woman, she...