A musician and RAF radio navigator by trade, Quinn found himself in Monte Carlo soon after World War II and was astute enough to realize he could make a living photographing the stars relaxing off-screen. At this time the Riviera was a stage for the beautiful, rich and famous and a star’s off-screen image could be pivotal in their career. Quinn developed relationships with many film stars including Grace Kelly, Brigitte Bardot, Marlon Brando and Sophia Loren, which enabled him to capture them spontaneously and candidly in his portraits. These photographs are a poignant memento of the golden age of the Côte d’Azur before it was irreversibly changed by publicists, paparazzi and tourism.

One of the first celebrities Quinn met was Picasso. He photographed him at the opening of an exhibition in 1951 and their friendship lasted until the artist’s death in 1973. Quinn’s lack of formal training and talent for taking improvised shots proved invaluable when photographing Picasso – he wanted to capture his true character and not just make staged shots of the artist. Picasso admired Quinn’s improvisation and said of him “Toi, tu sais faire un portrait” (You know how to make a portrait).

Gypsies, Saintes-Mories-de-la-Mer, 1953; Winston Churchill, Nice, 1960 all images © Edward Quinn