194Kviews
17 Risky Photos From ‘Golden Age Of Paparazzi’ Exhibit That Prove They Were Even More Annoying Back Then
While the paparazzi are often harshly vilified by the media, celebrities, and onlookers alike, a new photo series exhibit at the Centro Italiano per la Fotografia in Turin presents their controversial work as a unique art form.
The term 'paparazzo' (plural: paparazzi) was introduced to the world via Walter Santesso's role as a persistent news photographer in Federico Fellini's iconic 1960 film, La Dolce Vita. This started both a cultural 'Golden Age' in Italy and a rampant international increase in brazen cameramen invading the personal space of famous people for that perfect, intimate, newsworthy shot. Some popular celebrities were flattered, while others became violent. Artists and photo editors, such as the British Alison Jackson, even resorted to staging 'scandalous' photos of the rich and famous using lookalike actors.
The profession's glory days came to a screeching halt in 1997 when Princess Diana's tragic death in a Paris car crash was blamed by some media outlets on the paparazzi who chased her in a nearby vehicle. Today, the paparazzi face numerous legal restrictions as the catalysts for anti-stalking and harassment bills in many countries, and many are currently under restraining orders.
Whether you love or hate the job, the vintage photos showcased at Arrivano i Paparazzi in Turin provide a nostalgic window into the past, as well as a poignant commentary on the struggle for privacy famous people still face. Scroll down to see our favorite black and white photos, and vote for the ones that made the most impact on you.
This post may include affiliate links.
Anita Ekberg Facing The Paparazzi With Bow And Arrows, October 20, 1960
Kate Moss And David Bowie, 2003
RELAX folks - YES, this is staged because it is one of many pics from a photoshoot of David Bowie and Kate Moss taken by the great Ellen von Unwerth for the October 2003 issue of Q magazine.
Jackie Kennedy Captured By A Celebrity Photographer While Walking Quietly On Madison Avenue In New York. October, 1971
There was a documentary about Jackie on Netflix a while back and apparently, this photographer stalked her to the point where she had to take out a restraining order on him.
Brigitte Bardot Leaves The Hotel Forum. Rome, 1965
Tazio Secchiaroli Flees An Angry Walter Chiari. The Actor At The Time Was In A Relationship With Superstar Ava Gardner And Was Followed Every Step By Paparazzi. Rome, 1957
Before Paparazzi sued! Chiari has two fists with his name on both of them.
Sofia Loren At Ciampino Airport, Returning From The United States. Rome, November 14th, 1961
I know she must have not liked this ... But I really like this pic...
Aiché Nanà's Striptease At Rugantino's Restaurant, Rome 1958. Aiché Nanà And Tazio Secchiaroli, Whom Took The Picture, Were Both Fellini's Inspirations For The Film "La Dolce Vita." The Film's Character Paparazzo, Inspired By Secchiaroli, Is The Origin Of The Word Paparazzi
The difference between the men and women faces and body language is great!
Don Gussoni Quarrels With Photographer Giacomo Alexis, Rome 1959
Photojournalist Tazio Secchiaroli Hides Armed With His Camera. Rome, 1958
Geez, hiding with an expression like that, he looks like a sleazy peeping tom that should be aware of how shady he is or whatever. :p
Lucien Benedetti And Marina Meucci Stand Against The Photographer. Rome, Circa 1965
Stefania Sandrelli. Rome, Early 60s
Soraya's Arrival At Termini Station Attracts The Attention Of "Assault Photographers"
Anthony Steel Lashes Out Against Photographers. Rome, August 1958
he's getting chased and still taking pictures? wow this dude has the dedication of a thousand hungry roaches
Alain Delon And Romy Schneider Dance During The Golden Age Ciak Evening At Brigadoon Restaurant. Rome, July 29, 1961
Paparazzi Colleagues Chatting On Break In Sistina Street, Rome, 1958
Marilyn Monroe Lookalike Underessing Before Jfk Impersonator
Patrizia Pellegrino With Her Children Play On The Marina Beach
Oh stop getting your knickers in a twist, it's just a mother playing with her children several years ago. Get over it.
Regarding the people saying this is horrifying and other words to that effect, I'm just curious as to what you think a water PISTOL should look like, instead of a PISTOL shaped water PISTOL? I just like saying pistol. Pistol pistol pistol :-)
THANK YOU. I know lots of people are afraid of guns, like a handgun is gonna up and attack you its own, and I've seen that carried to some pretty ridiculous extremes. But being afraid a pistol shaped squirt gun even EXISTED, that's a new one. Oh noes!! Look what she's teaching the children!! She's teaching them that be frightened little lemmings for the rest of their lives if they don't learn how to read context.
Load More Replies...Personally, I'm most bothered by this photo being in color while the rest are black and white. It adds significantly to the out-of-place feel...
The photo was a very unflattering one, taken by paparazzi, just like the other photos.
Load More Replies...Regardless of the fact that it is a water gun, we should not be familiarizing and normalizing the concept of weapons to kids. Guns remain a culture of violence. Wish we live in a world where kids are not exposed to that, then maybe they can grow into more peaceful adults
This is EXACTLY why this is a valuable picture. Teach the children young that they'll spend their lives as cowering little lemmings if they don't learn how to read context.
Load More Replies...This is why we can't have fun things anymore... everyone is soooo upset by a mom playing with her kid.... just because it looks like a real gun doesn't make it real and it doesn't make her a bad person for playing with it
She was squirting her kids with the water gun.
Load More Replies...I remember seeing a paparazzi picture of Jennifer Lawrence in a bathing suit. It said some cute headline about her but when you looked at the picture, she looked like she was trying to get away from the photographer and her face is distressed. I couldn't believe they posted it. It was disturbing.
I don't understand why people want their stars to look horrible, upset, sad etc. The whoe point of a star is to be glamorous and sell a dream, an illusion. And to get these 'candid' pictures paparazzi are absolut c*nts towards the stars, cussing at them, harrassing them, scaring them etc. They rang Amy Winehouses doorbell shouting that one of her friends is dying outside - and then sold a picture of a dishevelled and distraught Amy to the mags. I don't understand why that is legal.
While I agree that a lot of the time they are hounded mercilessly I will say that it is nothing new. Without paparazzi we wouldn't get such gems as the Kardashians or Paris Hiltons who are literally famous for being famous.... unfortunately for them it is a lifestyle choice and they did kinda know what was in store when they signed up for it. I'm not saying it's right unfortunately it is just how it is.
Taryn I hope you will see my comment below and perhaps change your opinion a little. People often use that "it's what they signed up for" excuse but that's not a real thing. Nobody signs up for fame. People become actors because they like to act. They don't start because they think they'll become famous. People like the Kardashians enjoy the paps and invite them in which is why they have a show. The rest of them didn't "sign up for" the hounding nor did they sign up for anything else. They chose an artistic profession that has it's ups and downs. It's extremely unfair of people to say that. Most people have a perception of what it's like and they're very much off base. They're not massive a******s doing yoga and eating wheat grass shakes and demanding only yellow M&M's while throwing cell phones at assistants. There are so many stories that are 100% false or half false. People base their thoughts on famous people with no real idea of what they're like and it's not fair.
Load More Replies...The paparazzi can and is often a pain in the neck. And celebrities DEFINITELY did not "sign up for this", as many peeps are stating. I strongly agree with Gayla; no human beings deserve to be photographed 24x7 mainly because they're famous celebrities. We don't know how is the life of a celebrity. Although, it is true that there are some celebrities who don't mind the paps. But still, celebrities still deserve privacy.
If you don't like the notoriety f being famous then don't become famous. It's not like it's forced upon you like winning the lottery.
I agree to a certain degree. But at the same time, why don't they just leave them alone. They are just human beings like us. Yes, they have a talent, but why take photo's to show the world. They are equal to every other human being on earth. Having a talent or not. And we do not get photographed daily.
Load More Replies...that's such b******t. They're entitled to have a life. I am often employed by celebrities and spend lots of time with them. They are mercilessly hounded by photographers and people. Out on a boat (I work on private yachts) people will literally paddle out to our boat or come as close as they can and there will be helicopters buzzing us. We have to close our blinds because there are people with telephoto cameras everywhere. It's ridiculous to expect that someone is expected to be "on the job" 24/7 just because they make more money than the average person and the "love the fame/money". Do you like your job? Do you like the money you make? Do you think you should be expected to work 24 hours a day and be on call all the time because of it? No. So why should they?
Load More Replies...I remember seeing a paparazzi picture of Jennifer Lawrence in a bathing suit. It said some cute headline about her but when you looked at the picture, she looked like she was trying to get away from the photographer and her face is distressed. I couldn't believe they posted it. It was disturbing.
I don't understand why people want their stars to look horrible, upset, sad etc. The whoe point of a star is to be glamorous and sell a dream, an illusion. And to get these 'candid' pictures paparazzi are absolut c*nts towards the stars, cussing at them, harrassing them, scaring them etc. They rang Amy Winehouses doorbell shouting that one of her friends is dying outside - and then sold a picture of a dishevelled and distraught Amy to the mags. I don't understand why that is legal.
While I agree that a lot of the time they are hounded mercilessly I will say that it is nothing new. Without paparazzi we wouldn't get such gems as the Kardashians or Paris Hiltons who are literally famous for being famous.... unfortunately for them it is a lifestyle choice and they did kinda know what was in store when they signed up for it. I'm not saying it's right unfortunately it is just how it is.
Taryn I hope you will see my comment below and perhaps change your opinion a little. People often use that "it's what they signed up for" excuse but that's not a real thing. Nobody signs up for fame. People become actors because they like to act. They don't start because they think they'll become famous. People like the Kardashians enjoy the paps and invite them in which is why they have a show. The rest of them didn't "sign up for" the hounding nor did they sign up for anything else. They chose an artistic profession that has it's ups and downs. It's extremely unfair of people to say that. Most people have a perception of what it's like and they're very much off base. They're not massive a******s doing yoga and eating wheat grass shakes and demanding only yellow M&M's while throwing cell phones at assistants. There are so many stories that are 100% false or half false. People base their thoughts on famous people with no real idea of what they're like and it's not fair.
Load More Replies...The paparazzi can and is often a pain in the neck. And celebrities DEFINITELY did not "sign up for this", as many peeps are stating. I strongly agree with Gayla; no human beings deserve to be photographed 24x7 mainly because they're famous celebrities. We don't know how is the life of a celebrity. Although, it is true that there are some celebrities who don't mind the paps. But still, celebrities still deserve privacy.
If you don't like the notoriety f being famous then don't become famous. It's not like it's forced upon you like winning the lottery.
I agree to a certain degree. But at the same time, why don't they just leave them alone. They are just human beings like us. Yes, they have a talent, but why take photo's to show the world. They are equal to every other human being on earth. Having a talent or not. And we do not get photographed daily.
Load More Replies...that's such b******t. They're entitled to have a life. I am often employed by celebrities and spend lots of time with them. They are mercilessly hounded by photographers and people. Out on a boat (I work on private yachts) people will literally paddle out to our boat or come as close as they can and there will be helicopters buzzing us. We have to close our blinds because there are people with telephoto cameras everywhere. It's ridiculous to expect that someone is expected to be "on the job" 24/7 just because they make more money than the average person and the "love the fame/money". Do you like your job? Do you like the money you make? Do you think you should be expected to work 24 hours a day and be on call all the time because of it? No. So why should they?
Load More Replies...