Baron (photographer)
Baron | |
|---|---|
 Nahum in 1953 | |
| Born | Baron Stirling Henry di Victor Nahum 29 November 1906 Prestwich, Greater Manchester, England |
| Died | 5 September 1956 (aged 49) |
| Occupation | Photographer |
Baron Stirling Henry di Victor Nahum[1][a] (29 November 1906 – 5 September 1956[3]), known professionally as Baron, was a society and court photographer in the United Kingdom.[4][5]
He was born in Prestwich, Greater Manchester, England, of Italian Jewish heritage.[6] He was the twin brother of Jack Nahum, who later became a Queen's Counsel.[7] Having embarked on a career as a photographer, in his thirties he began to find prominence for his pictures of the ballet, and was often found at the Sadler's Wells ballet company. After the war he concentrated on society and celebrity portraits.[6]
A friend of Prince Philip, he was appointed a Court Photographer to the British Royal Family, and took the official photographs for many occasions such as the wedding of Philip to Princess Elizabeth in 1947, the christenings of their children Charles and Anne and other occasions.[5] Prince Philip put forward his name in 1953 to take the official photographs of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, but the Queen Mother preferred Cecil Beaton.[8]
The following year, he founded Baron Studios on Park Lane in Mayfair, taking commissioned portraits by photographers including Theodore Zichy and Rex Coleman,[9] mainly of leading businessmen. One notable sitter was Marilyn Monroe, whom Nahum photographed in 1954, in an outdoor shoot in California.[5] During the first year in his studio, Antony Armstrong-Jones, was one of his assistants.[10]
Two years after founding his new venture, Nahum died at the age of 49.[3] Baron Studios continued in business until 1974. The Studio's photograph collection was donated to the National Portrait Gallery in 1999.[4]
Nahum appears as a character in the Netflix production The Crown in Season 1, Episode 6, played by Julius D'Silva.
Notes
References
- ^ Crookes, William; Malone, T. A.; Shadbolt, George; Taylor, John Traill; Bolton, William Blanchard; Bedding, Thomas (1935). The British Journal of Photography. H. Greenwood. p. 798.
- ^ Toomey, Elizabeth (16 November 1954). "Photography says American, Italian Women Glamorous". San Rafael Daily Independent Journal. United Press. Retrieved 3 February 2026.
- ^ a b "STIRLING H. NAHUM DIES; Was Official Photographer at Coronation of Elizabeth II". The New York Times. 6 September 1956. Archived from the original on 8 May 2012.
- ^ a b National Portrait Gallery. "NPG Photographic holdings - prints Collections". Archived from the original on 28 May 2013.
- ^ a b c immortalmarilyn.com. "Marilyn's Photographers - Ted Baron". Archived from the original on 21 April 2012.
- ^ a b Butson, Matthew. "The Forgotten Ones" (PDF). Getty Images. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 August 2011.
- ^ "Mr. Sterling Henry Nahum". The Jewish Chronicle. 14 September 1956. Retrieved 3 February 2026.
- ^ "The Queen's Coronation: Behind Palace Doors" (2008), Channel 4.
- ^ Baron Studios on the National Portrait Gallery website.
- ^ Griffiths, Eleanor Bley. "The Crown season 2: The true story of Princess Margaret's marriage to Antony Armstrong-Jones". Radio Timesdate=24 March 2019.
