Slim Aarons

The Man Who Captured Leisure Like a Lifestyle.

Slim Aarons turned his lens from the battlefields of World War II to the sun-drenched playgrounds of the elite, defining an era of glamour through candid portraits of the rich and remarkable.

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Slim Aarons

Slim Aarons was an American photographer whose work came to define the visual language of postwar luxury, leisure, and high society. Born George Allen Aarons in 1916, he began his career as a combat photographer for the U.S. Army during World War II, contributing to the military magazine Yank. The experience shaped his eye for capturing candid, yet composed, moments - but after witnessing the harsh realities of war, Aarons famously vowed never to photograph anything "that would wound or hurt." Instead, he turned his lens toward a more aspirational world: that of the wealthy elite, living lives of cultivated ease.

Throughout the 1950s, '60s, and '70s, Aarons became a fixture in the pages of Town & Country, Holiday, Venture, and LIFE, photographing aristocrats, celebrities, and socialites across the United States and Europe. Whether poolside in Palm Springs or skiing in Gstaad, his images offered a stylized - but never overly staged - glimpse into the private worlds of the rich and famous. Aarons described his own approach succinctly: “I photograph attractive people doing attractive things in attractive places.” This ethos resonated not only with editors but with his subjects, many of whom invited him into their homes and holiday retreats, trusting him to portray their lives with elegance rather than intrusion.

What distinguished Aarons’s work was not just the glamour of his subjects, but the intimacy and warmth of his portraits. He did not rely on artificial lighting or studio setups; instead, he captured his subjects in natural light and natural moments, creating images that feel simultaneously aspirational and grounded. His photographs became a kind of visual shorthand for a mid-century ideal of taste, leisure, and privilege, shaping how generations would come to picture the jet set.

Today, Slim Aarons's work is part of the Getty Images Gallery collection, where his original negatives are preserved and hand-printed by skilled darkroom technicians. These authorized prints continue to captivate collectors, decorators, and aesthetes alike - offering not only a window into a bygone era of elegance but a timeless reminder of the art of seeing beauty in the everyday rituals of the extraordinary. All photographs are printed and authorized by the Getty Images Gallery, London.

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Slim Aarons 'Waterskiing Hotel Du Cap-Eden-Roc' By Slim Aarons
From Regular price $225
Slim Aarons Collection
Slim Aarons 'Young Society' By Slim Aarons
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Slim Aarons Collection
Slim Aarons 'Vuccino And Rava' By Slim Aarons
From Regular price $225
Slim Aarons Collection
Slim Aarons 'Villa Vera' By Slim Aarons
From Regular price $225
Slim Aarons Collection
Slim Aarons 'Verbier Skiers' By Slim Aarons
From Regular price $325
Slim Aarons Collection
Slim Aarons 'Traveller II' By Slim Aarons
From Regular price $325
Slim Aarons Collection
Slim Aarons 'Swimming Pool On The Beach' By Slim Aarons
From Regular price $225
Slim Aarons Collection
Slim Aarons 'Swimmers At Las Brisas' By Slim Aarons
From Regular price $225
Slim Aarons Collection
Slim Aarons 'Sunbathers At Eden Roc' By Slim Aarons
From Regular price $225
Slim Aarons Collection
Slim Aarons 'Summer Picnic' By Slim Aarons
From Regular price $225
Slim Aarons Collection
Slim Aarons 'Stocking Island, Bahamas' By Slim Aarons
From Regular price $225
Slim Aarons Collection
Slim Aarons 'Sports Car Couple' By Slim Aarons
From Regular price $325
Slim Aarons Collection
Slim Aarons 'Speedboat Landing' By Slim Aarons
From Regular price $225
Slim Aarons Collection
Slim Aarons 'Speedboat Jetty' By Slim Aarons
From Regular price $225
Slim Aarons Collection
Slim Aarons 'Snorkelling Holiday' By Slim Aarons
From Regular price $225
Slim Aarons Collection
Slim Aarons 'Snorkelling In Malta' By Slim Aarons
From Regular price $225
Slim Aarons Collection
Slim Aarons 'Ski Hike' By Slim Aarons
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Slim Aarons Collection
Slim Aarons 'Scotti's Yacht' By Slim Aarons
From Regular price $225
Slim Aarons Collection
Slim Aarons 'Sailing Dinghy' By Slim Aarons
From Regular price $325
Slim Aarons Collection
Slim Aarons 'Rolls Royce' By Slim Aarons
From Regular price $325
Slim Aarons Collection
Slim Aarons 'Positano Beach' By Slim Aarons
From Regular price $225
Slim Aarons Collection
Slim Aarons 'Porto Rotondo' By Slim Aarons
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Slim Aarons Collection
Slim Aarons 'Porto Ercole' By Slim Aarons
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Slim Aarons Collection
Slim Aarons 'Poolside on Shelter Island' By Slim Aarons
From Regular price $325
Slim Aarons Collection