Born in paris in the 1920’s, daughter of Manès Lévy a french industrialist (mainly in the car industry), and of a british mother, Deb Barnett. During the war, because her father was jewish they had to leave Paris and hide in the small village of Vaujany in the mountains above Grenoble. Kathleen immigrated to the United States in 1948 and became an American citizen. She worked for the New York Times, then for Vogue Magazine as model editor from 1950 to 1955. In 1955 she became the agent and assistant of the famous fashion photographer Erwin Blumenfeld. She married Erwin’s son Henry in 1956. After her children were born in 1957 and in 1960, she became a photographer under the guidance of Erwin Blumenfeld. Kathleen Blumenfeld lived and worked in Princeton New-Jersey until 1967, then in Geneva, Switzerland, then in Gif-sur-Yvette, France from 1970. She specialized in portrait photography of famous people and in reportages, which she thought of and published in magazines such as Vogue, Paris-Match, Le Nouvel Observateur, Le Figaro Magazine, Le Jardin des Modes, Elle, and many others. Some of the themes of her reportages were in the field of the Arts, Fashion, Sciences or the Circus and the Theater. She had many solo exhibits in Europe and in the U.S. She was for instance for 8 years photographer for the Comédie Française, photographs which were exhibited at the Prague French Cultural Center in April-May 1986. She died in 2011.
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François Mitterrand (1916-1996), French politician, buying a copy of the adily newspaper "France-Soir". Paris, on March 2nd, 1978. Photograph by Kathleen Blumenfeld (1920-2011).
Kathleen Blumenfeld / Roger-Viollet
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Valérie Fratellini, circus artist, dressed in a clown costume with her pony at the Fratellini circus. Paris, November 1991.
Kathleen Blumenfeld / Roger-Viollet
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Maurice Béjart (1927-2007), French dancer and choreographer. Paris, Palais des Congrès, 1984.
Kathleen Blumenfeld / Roger-Viollet
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Jean-Paul Guerlain (born in 1937), French perfumer. Paris, May 1981.
Kathleen Blumenfeld / Roger-Viollet
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Hervé Morvan (1917-1980), French poster artist, 1980.
Kathleen Blumenfeld / Roger-Viollet
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Artist copyright must also be cleared © ADAGP or corresponding collecting society.
Simone Veil (1927-2017), French politician. Paris, 1979.
Kathleen Blumenfeld / Roger-Viollet
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Jean-Paul Guerlain (born in 1937), French perfumer. Paris, May 1981.
Kathleen Blumenfeld / Roger-Viollet
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Paul Colin (1892-1985), French poster artist, at home, 1980.
Kathleen Blumenfeld / Roger-Viollet
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Roland Topor (1938-1997), French poster artist, 1982.
Kathleen Blumenfeld / Roger-Viollet
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Roger Peyrefitte (1907-2000), French writer and diplomat. Paris, December 1980.
Kathleen Blumenfeld / Roger-Viollet
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René Gruau (1909-2004), French poster designer and illustrator, at his place, 1989.
Kathleen Blumenfeld / Roger-Viollet
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Pierre Bourdon (born in 1946), French perfumer, for Dior. Paris, April 1981.
Kathleen Blumenfeld / Roger-Viollet
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Roger Peyrefitte (1907-2000), French writer and diplomat, December 1980.
Kathleen Blumenfeld / Roger-Viollet
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Nicolas Mamounas, perfumer for Rochas between 1970 and 1987, in his study, April 1981.
Kathleen Blumenfeld / Roger-Viollet
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Ludmila Mikaël (born in 1947), French actress. Paris, January 1984.
Kathleen Blumenfeld / Roger-Viollet
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Roger Thérond (1924-2001), French journalist, 1979.
Kathleen Blumenfeld / Roger-Viollet
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Anne Sinclair (born in 1948), French journalist. Paris, December 1982.
Kathleen Blumenfeld / Roger-Viollet
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Liliane Bettencourt (1922-2017), French businesswoman, main shareholder of L'Oréal, at her home. Neuilly-sur-Seine (France), around 1980.
Kathleen Blumenfeld / Roger-Viollet
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Robert Hirsch (1925-2017), French actor, wearing the costume of Pierrot in his dressing room at the time of a performance of "Debureau" by Sacha Guitry. $$$Paris, Théâtre Edouard VII, December 1980.
Kathleen Blumenfeld / Roger-Viollet
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Jean Daniel (1920-2020), French journalist and manager of "Le Nouvel Observateur" magazine, 1986.
Kathleen Blumenfeld / Roger-Viollet
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Romain de Tirtoff (known as Erté, 1892-1990), Russian-born French artist, July 1979.
Kathleen Blumenfeld / Roger-Viollet
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André Bettencourt (1919-2007), French politician, at his place.
Kathleen Blumenfeld / Roger-Viollet
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Valérie Fratellini, circus artist, dressed as a clown and riding a pony at the Fratellini circus. Paris, November 1991.
Kathleen Blumenfeld / Roger-Viollet
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Simone Veil (1927-2017), French politician. Paris, 1984.
Kathleen Blumenfeld / Roger-Viollet
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Edith Cresson (born in 1934), Minister of Foreign Trade, in her study, quai de Branly. Paris, 1983.
Kathleen Blumenfeld / Roger-Viollet
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Roland Topor (1938-1997), French poster artist, 1982.
Kathleen Blumenfeld / Roger-Viollet
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Robert Doisneau (1912-1994), French photographer. Paris, January 1980.
Kathleen Blumenfeld / Roger-Viollet
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François Mitterrand (1916-1996), French politician, looking at phographs of him. Paris, February 1978.
Kathleen Blumenfeld / Roger-Viollet
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Ludmilla Mikaël (born in 1947), French actress, in her dressing room at the Comédie-Française. Paris, January 1984.
Kathleen Blumenfeld / Roger-Viollet
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Peter Ustinov (1921-2004), English actor, writer and director. France, June 1979.
Kathleen Blumenfeld / Roger-Viollet
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François Mitterrand (1916-1996), French politician, in his study. Paris, February 1978.
Kathleen Blumenfeld / Roger-Viollet
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Pierre Mendès France (1907-1982), French politician, at his place. Paris, January 1979.
Kathleen Blumenfeld / Roger-Viollet
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Henry Kissinger (born in 1923), American diplomat and proponent of Realpolitik. Washington D.C. (United States), August 1978.
Kathleen Blumenfeld / Roger-Viollet
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Alexis Gruss (born in 1944), French artist and circus director. 1991.
Kathleen Blumenfeld / Roger-Viollet
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Liliane Bettencourt (1922-2017), French businesswoman, main shareholder of L'Oréal, at her place. Neuilly-sur-Seine (France), circa 1980.
Kathleen Blumenfeld / Roger-Viollet
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Louise Weiss (1893-1983), French journalist, writer and feminist. Paris, 1979.
Kathleen Blumenfeld / Roger-Viollet
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Bernard Villemot (1911-1989), French poster artist, at home, 1980.
Kathleen Blumenfeld / Roger-Viollet
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Artist copyright must also be cleared © ADAGP or corresponding collecting society.
Jacques Polge (born in 1943), French perfumer, nose for Chanel, holding a bottle of Chanel N°5. Paris, April 1981.
Kathleen Blumenfeld / Roger-Viollet
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Danièle Delorme (born in 1926), French actress and producer, at her place. Rambouillet (France), March 1979.
Kathleen Blumenfeld / Roger-Viollet
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Robert Doisneau (1912-1994), French photographer. Paris, January 1980.
Kathleen Blumenfeld / Roger-Viollet
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Daniel Toscan du Plantier (1941-2003), French producer. Neuilly-sur-Seine (France), December 1979.
Kathleen Blumenfeld / Roger-Viollet
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Jean-Pierre Rampal (1922-2000), French flautist. New York City (United States), 1990.
Kathleen Blumenfeld / Roger-Viollet
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Hervé Morvan (1917-1980), French poster artist, 1980.
Kathleen Blumenfeld / Roger-Viollet
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Artist copyright must also be cleared © ADAGP or corresponding collecting society.
Yehudi Menuhin (1916-1999), American violinist and conductor, with his wife Diana. Paris, January 1980.
Kathleen Blumenfeld / Roger-Viollet
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Liliane Bettencourt (1922-2017), French businesswoman, main shareholder of L'Oréal, at her house. Neuilly-sur-Seine (France), around 1980.
Kathleen Blumenfeld / Roger-Viollet
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Madam Grès (1903-1993), French fashion designer, in her couture house. Paris, rue de la Paix, October 1981.
Kathleen Blumenfeld / Roger-Viollet
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Annie Fratellini (1932-1997), French circus artist, June 1987.
Kathleen Blumenfeld / Roger-Viollet
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Edmonde Charles-Roux (1920-2016), French writer and journalist, member of the Goncourt Academy, circa 1983.
Kathleen Blumenfeld / Roger-Viollet
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Daniel Barenboim (born in 1942), Israeli conductor and pianist, performing at the Salle Pleyel. Paris, June 1984.
Kathleen Blumenfeld / Roger-Viollet
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Nina Berberova (1901-1993), Russian writer. Philadelphia (United States), August 1992.
Kathleen Blumenfeld / Roger-Viollet
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