In Pursuit of Perfection

Dorothy Wilding

(1893 – 1976)

British Society and Royal Photographer

Born in Gloucester in 1893, Dorothy was the first woman to be appointed as the Official Royal Photographer (for the 1937 coronation). She  built an illustrious career as a society and royal photographer.

Dorothy Wilding was born in Gloucester in 1893. Living in her uncle’s household, she was discouraged from becoming an actress and instead began to study photography. By the age of 21, she had opened her first studio and in 1937 opened a second in New York. She was already in great demand for society photos when, in 1952, she was asked to take the first of her now-iconic portraits of Elizabeth II.

She was the first woman to be appointed as the Official Royal Photographer (for the 1937 coronation) and built an illustrious career as a society and royal photographer. Between 1952 and 1971, her portraits formed the basis of The Queen’s image on British postage stamps. 2022 (the Jubilee year and death of Her Majesty the Queen) saw a renewed interest in her work as 24 of her portraits of the Queen were the core of an exhibition at Buckingham Palace, as well as a number of organisations around the UK showcasing her images during the celebrations.

Dorothy’s sitters include a veritable roll-call of the era’s biggest celebrities including Tallulah Bankhead, Noël Coward, Yehudi Menuhin, Vivien Leigh, Douglas Fairbanks Jr and Cecil Beaton. By 1959, this style of portraiture was no longer fashionable, but the 1980s saw a revival of interest in her work, an interest that was re-fuelled by the jubilee exhibition.

Her royal portraits are held by the Royal Collection Trust and her archive held by the National Portrait Gallery. The Heroines Collection includes a number of Dorothy Wilding books, prints and ephemera, some of which are on permanent display at the Heroines Quarter.

Further reading:  Dorothy Wilding: The Pursuit of Perfection NPG catalogue with essay by Terence Pepper

10th January 1893 to 9th February 1976

Sitters of Dorothy Wilding

Dorothy Wilding would have many famous sitters throughout her career, from acclaimed theatre performers, movie stars, musicians, and royalty. All of whom have their own interesting and unique lives and careers. We want to delve into...

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Head and shoulders portrait of HM Queen Elizabeth II, facing the viewer, her torso in left side profile. She wears a black taffeta evening dress with the South Africa Necklace that was a 21st birthday gift from the Government of the Union of South Africa. It was later shortened to fifteen large stones, as shown here, and the remaining diamonds made into a bracelet.

Dorothy Wilding – Gloucester Archive

Gloucester: On the first anniversary of the late Queen's death, we are launching the Dorothy Wilding Gloucester Archive with an installation that commemorates Dorothy's relationship with Queen Elizabeth II, curated by collector Sarah Grant....

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Photograph of HM Queen Elizabeth II, on the occasion of her Accession: a three-quarter length portrait, her face turned to her right. She wears the Diamond Diadem, the Nizam of Hyderabad Necklace, the star of the Order of the Garter on a sash, over a satin evening dress, designed by Norman Hartnell. The Queen is also wearing a diamond and platinum bracelet that was given as a wedding present by Prince Philip. This was designed by Philip Antrobus, using stones taken a from a tiara that had belonged to Prince Philip's mother Princess Andrew of Greece. She is also holding a fan in her left hand. A vase of flowers in background to left.

Dorothy & Friends

Join Del Barrett, chair and founder of Hundred Heroines, to hear the extraordinary story of Dorothy Wilding, a truly remarkable figure in the history of photography and be transported back to the glamour and gossip of London’s Roaring...

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