In 1962, the South African photographer Sam Haskins published a book called “Five Girls,” a study in black and white of the nude female form. Three years later, he published “Cowboy Kate,” an adventurous photo essay of a model, her hat, and the Wild West. Both are iconic representations of the sixties (“Cowboy Kate” went on to sell over a million copies), capturing the era’s sexual freedom and independence. They also launched Haskins’s career as a commercial and fashion photographer.
A new book of Haskins’s work, “Fashion Etcetera,” is out this month, published in conjunction with Tommy Hilfiger. For those who may not be able to afford it ($67.50 for the standard release, or $100 for a special edition), an exhibition of Haskins’s work is on view at Milk Gallery (450 West Fifteenth Street) through October 26th. And because my words can do them no justice, below is a selection of Haskins’s photographs.
(Photographs courtesy of Sam Haskins)
