Helmut Newton: Autobiography

A master of the risque, Helmut Newton scandalized and intrigued the world for half a century with his provocative photographs of women and his 'bad boy' persona. Here, Newton presents a candid portrait of himself, revealing a lifetime of adventure and providing compelling insights into the connection between his life and work. Born in Berlin in 1920 to a wealthy Jewish family, Helmut Newton was an overprotected child with no interest in school. At the age of twelve, he purchased his first camera, beginning a fascination with photography that would eventually propel him to the heights of international celebrity. Barely eighteen when Kristallnacht tore Germany apart, Newton managed to escape the Nazis. After indulging in a series of shipboard romances, Newton arrived in Singapore and soon became a gigolo and lover of an older woman. But the world was at war and talk of interning German Jews became prevalent even on the streets of Singapore. So Newton decamped once more, ending up in Australia where he joined the Australian army and served as a private for five years. Subsequently he opened his first 'tiny' photography studio in Melbourne and in 1948, he married his wife June, a successful actress. In the 1950s, Newton moved to Paris, where he continued to astonish clients with his beautiful and provocatively erotic images of women. His controversial White Women, published in 1976, earned him the titles of King of Kink and Prince of Porn. His distinctive visual vocabulary has been widely imitated. With irrepressible spirit and utter charm, Helmut Newton brings us his life story for the very first time in his own words.