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A German born Jew in the 1920′s, Helmut Newton or Helmut Neustädter, began his work from the age of twelve working in the fashion industry in Germany. The war, and Nuremburg as well, caused his family to flee the country and he soon found himself working as a reporter in Singapore. Eventually, Helmut made his way to Australia after being comissioned by the British army, where he joined and served as a truck driver, constantly working on his film as he served. Helmut created his own studio in Flinders Lane, a fashionable area in Victoria, Australia. He quickly rose to fame sharing success in the affluent post-war years with Wolfgang Sievers, a fellow German refugee and architectural photographer. Helmut eventually left Australia for London, and in 1956 landed a publication in Vogue Magazine, the rest of course, is history.

The vanguard of women in this first photo wear their skin as if it is a costume to which they are more or less indifferent, having removed themselves from their personalities, they become ‘specimens.’ Fine ones at that. Newton’s portrait skills from 1930′s Germany showcase well, and even Andy Warhol, the veritable king of pop art, new age, 1960′s portraits, was a subject of Newton. These photos above and below, represent ‘Big Nudes,’ an erotic urban style that pinnacled in the 1980′s.