Nine letters that exude fame

Hollywood – a truly special place, where magic is possible and dreams can come true.

The David Steen Archive comprises a mix of 40 famous actors, authors, directors and musicians who made it in Hollywood between the 60s and 80s. Today it’s hard to believe that many of them started off on rather modest career paths: Before turning into Indiana Jones, Harrison Ford worked as a sports commentator and built bespoke furniture. Rod Stewart had various jobs including silk screen printer and grave digger, whereas Sean Connery went from door to door delivering milk.

From Joan Collins and Elizabeth Taylor to Sir Michael Caine and Orson Welles, our online print gallery is home to the rich, famous and outspoken characters, showing them in unique and completely natural situations. Adding to the history of every image are the charming anecdotes by the late David Steen.

When Steen went to Oliver Reed’s magnificent home Broome Hall in Surrey to shoot the iconic rare black and white photograph featured in the archive, they ended up sharing a drink together. It wasn’t “just a glass or a bottle but a case of red wine” according to Steen and they carried on right through the evening. Reed had disappeared for some time that afternoon but returned only to leave a lasting impression on Steen when he rode his big beautiful horse, without a saddle, out of the French windows and across the leafy Surrey Hills.

A completely different story unfolded when Steen went to photograph Sophia Loren. Much to his delight Loren approved his work and agreed that he could come out to Antigua to photograph her. He felt privileged and quickly noticed how she literally “oozes sex”. Funnily enough he ended up with one of her black stockings – another brilliant story that you can only come across in The David Steen Archive.

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