Douglas Kirkland, the celebrity photographer known for his photos of Marilyn Monroe and numerous other stars, died Sunday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 88.
His 1961 Monroe portraits showed the superstar reclining on a bed surrounded by white satin sheets.
In addition to his portraits of Hollywood notables including he was a special photographer for films including “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “The Sound of Music,” “Sophie’s Choice,” “The Great Gatsby,” “Out of Africa,” “Titanic” and “Moulin Rouge!”
His photos appeared in hundreds of magazines, and among the celebrities he photographed were Brigitte Bardot, Coco Chanel, Audrey Hepburn, Marlene Dietrich, Katharine Hepburn, Judy Garland, Elizabeth Taylor, Ann-Margret, Natalie Wood, Catherine Deneuve, Angelina Jolie, Nicole Kidman, Charlie Chaplin, Peter O’Toole, Paul Newman, Marcello Mastroianni, Michael Caine, Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio, Frank Sinatra, Mick Jagger, Bjork and Michael Jackson.
“Douglas Kirkland has left an impossible void to fill in both his personal and professional lives, and his boundless joie de vivre, warmth and passion will be missed by a long life of wonderful and meaningful friendships,” said Jeff Dunas, director of the Palm Springs Photo Festival, in a statement.
Kirkland’s work was collected in 10 monographs, and his photographs are included in collections including the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science, The Smithsonian and the Annenberg Space for Photography in Los Angeles.
Among the honors he received were the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society of Operating Cameramen and the president’s award from the American Society of Cinematographers.
Born in Toronto, Kirkland became a staff photographer for Look magazine at the age of 26. His photographs appeared in Life magazine as well as People and Sports Illustrated.
He is survived by his wife Francoise; son Mark, an animation director; daughters Karen and Lisa; grandchildren Jamie, Chad, Ryan, Patrick,Anna Sophia and great grandchild Madison.
