High Society

A Wonderful Time By Slim Aarons (1974)

If you dream of champagne lunches, caviar for dessert, palazzos, castles, beautiful people, fast cars, and the aristocrats, this book is the ultimate high society wet dreams.

Photographer Slim Aarons served as a photographer during World War II. His combat earned him a purple heart. After the war, Aarons moved to California and began photographing celebrities. He worked for Town and Country, Vogue, Holiday and Life.

Aarons chronicled the good life of the upper class and aristocracy in the 1950's, 60's and 70's in three of his coffee table books. He made his career out of what he called "photographing attractive people doing attractive things in attaractive places."

Aarons passed away in June, 2006.

His first book 'A Wonderful Time' was published in 1974 and became a cult favorite among the fashion world.

Slim Aarons' 'A Wonderful Life' has been in my shopping wishlist for the last two years. But I have yet to find the best copy (First Edition, signed) and price for it. I already have 2 of his other coffee table books, 'Once Upon A Time' and 'A Place Under the Sun'.


Inside the book...

Prince and Princess Archil Gourielli in the living room of their New York apartment. The princess is Helena Rubinstein founder of the cosmetic company that bears her name. (c.1950).

From left to right; singer Marianne Faithfull, the Honorable Desmond Guinness and Mick Jagger (of the Rolling Stones) sit on a sofa under a large gilt framed painting of a woman in 18th century dress at Leixlip Castle, Ireland, the home of Desmond Guinness. (1968)

Film producer Kevin McClory takes his wife Bobo Segrist and their family for a drive in an 'Amphicar' across the harbour at Nassau. (1967).

Jacqueline Kennedy (Jackie Onassis) (1929 - 1994) wife of Senator Jack Kennedy at an 'April in Paris' ball. (c.1959)

Working at his typewriter surrounded by 'bunny girls', publisher Hugh M Hefner at the Playboy Key Club in Chicago. He founded adult magazines, Playboy, Vip , and Oui. (1960).


American socialite and Woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton (1912 - 1979), the world's richest woman, reclining by the Lido in Venice. (1958).


Babe Paley (Mrs. William Paley) by the pool. Her husband, William Paley is snapping the photographer at their cottage, Round Hill, Jamaica.


Film director Howard Hawks (1896 - 1977) and his wife Dee spend a summer day by the pool in Monaco with producer Charles K Feldman (1904 - 1968) and Feldman's protegee Germaine Lefebvre, aka French actress Capucine (1933 - 1990). (1957)


Once Upon A Time By Slim Aarons (2003)


A Place Under The Sun By Christopher Sweet and Slim Aarons (2005)


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