Clarence Sinclair Bull

Along with George Hurrell, Clarence Sinclair Bull effectively invented the Hollywood celebrity still, with romantic images that set the standard for glamor and beauty during the industry’s Golden Age. His career began in 1918, when he moved to Hollywood and was hired by Goldwyn Pictures Corporation to produce stills of the era’s most famous stars. At the founding of MGM Studios, in 1924, he was appointed head of the photography stills department, a position he held for the rest of his career. The stars loved him. Among his numerous sitters were Elizabeth Taylor, Clark Gable, and, most famously, Greta Garbo, who wanted to be photographed only by him. Bull first shot Garbo on the set of The Kiss, in 1929, and continued to work with her until 1941, capturing her striking eyes and long lashes in dramatically lit, alluring portraits.