Newton, Helmut

(1920-2004)

   This photographer was born Helmet Neustädter in Berlin, son to a Jewish garment factory owner and an American mother. Newton was schooled at Werner von Trotschke Gymnasium and the American School in Berlin. His interest in photography can be traced to his childhood when he worked as an assistant for German photographer Else Simon, also known as Yva. In 1938, he left Germany to escape Nazi persecution as a Jew and worked for a short time as a photographer for the Straits Times in Singapore. During World War II, he served with the Australian Army (1940-1945). After the war, he married actress June Browne and worked as a freelance photographer for Playboy magazine. By 1950, he had moved to fashion photography and settled in Paris in 1961 to work extensively for French Vogue.

   In 1970, while on a New York street, Newton suffered a heart attack which was a life-altering experience resulting in a creative surge that produced some of his best work. He is most known for pushing the limits of conventional photography with his erotic style and sadomasochistic overtones. During the 1980s, his celebrity portraits were often featured in Vanity Fair magazine. He also caused a sensation with his witty erotic work for Oui and Playboy magazines and for his series called Big Nudes. In 1975, Newton staged a one-man show in Paris and, in 1976, published his first book, White Women. During the next twenty-five years, Newton, with his wife June at his side, produced a series of books and exhibitions including a major installment at the Neue National Galerie in Berlin in 2000. Newton donated his extensive photo collection to the Foundation of Prussian Cultural Heritage in Berlin in 2003, before his tragic death in 2004.

   See also Fashion photographer.