Lillian Bassman’s work constitutes a singular voice in post-war fashion photography. In defiance of nearly every photographic trend of the 1940s, ‘50s and ‘60s, Bassman made highly stylized images in which mood, atmosphere, and gesture embody elegance and style. Bassman was a protégé of legendary art director Alexey Brodovitch, and her photographs appeared in Harper’s Bazaar and Seventeen. Her mastery of darkroom technique helped her define “a new kind of vision aside from what the camera saw.” Using the images captured on her negatives as a starting point, she would then blur, bleach and stain her prints to realize her full vision. Bassman's deft handling of light and shadow are also key to her distinct style, creating images that breathe with movement, texture and depth.