Edwin Bower Hesser

Edwin Bower Hesser (1893-1962) along with George Hurrell, virtually invented celebrity portraiture as we know it today, capturing with rare artistry a breathtaking roster of stars in brilliant and often surprising ways. He was one of the few artists who often depicted the subject head on, and often used back-lighting, creating a halo or aura for the subject. His mastery at landscape photography led to his penchant for photographing nudes in outdoor settings, such as parks or glades.

By the age of 17, he was involved with theatre, drawing, sculpture, painting, and commercial photography. And by his early 30's he began publishing Edwin Bower Hesser's Arts Monthly, a periodical that explored the association between art and nudity.

In addition to his interest in photographing nude and semi-nude photographs, he developed a three color system known as Hessercolor which was used in some early Technicolor films.