Dorothy Wilding

Dorothy Wilding
Self-portrait (1930s)
Born10 January 1893
Died9 February 1976 (aged 83)
NationalityBritish
OccupationPhotographer
Years active1914–1957
Known forStudio photography, celebrity portraits, royal family portraits
SpouseTom Leighton-Pearce
Booklet pane of Wilding series stamps
An early portrait, Lady Angela Forbes,
photographed by Wilding in 1921

Dorothy Frances Edith Wilding (10 January 1893 – 9 February 1976) was an English professional portrait photographer from Gloucester, who established successful studios in both London and New York. She is known for her portraits of the British royal family, some of which were used to illustrate postage stamps, and in particular for her studies of actors and celebrities which fused glamour with modernist elegance. Val Williams noted Wilding's combination of business savvy and deep understanding of aesthetic impact: 'nobody knew better than Dorothy Wilding the power of the photograph to create or destroy the desired image.'[1]

  1. ^ Williams, Val (1986). Women Photographers: The Other Observers 1900 to the Present. Virago. pp. 150–154. ISBN 0-86068-624-8.