Famous faces as photographed by iconic women photographers – these stunning celebrity portraits are a must-see

A new exhibition at Hundred Heroines, an art gallery and museum in Nailsworth, Gloucestershire, showcases the pivotal role women photographers have played in shaping celebrity and their image over the past century. Titled "Stardust: 100 Years of Stage, Screen and Celebrity," the free exhibition brings together iconic portraits from music, society, stage and screen, highlighting the powerful relationship between the subjects, the photographers, and the public.

The exhibition features renowned faces such as Vivien Leigh, Tallulah Bankhead, and Marlene Dietrich, alongside more recent portraits by internationally acclaimed photographer Jillian Edelstein, who was recently honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award by Amateur Photographer magazine. Additionally, the exhibit includes rare images from the Elisabeth Buchmeyer Lewis archive, featuring legendary musicians Bob Dylan and Led Zeppelin, some of which have never been publicly displayed before.

The exhibition chronicles a 100-year journey through changing photographic styles and celebrity faces, emphasizing the collaborative nature of the relationship between the celebrity, the photographer, and the audience. According to the curator and founder of Hundred Heroines, Del Barrett, "Photography is a powerful medium for creating public identities.

This is the perfect opening exhibition for our new gallery. It’s a celebration of the remarkable women who photographed the famous faces of the twentieth century, and gives us the chance to share some of the hidden gems in our archive."