Yevonde
(1893-1975), PhotographerYevonde (Madame Yevonde) (Yevonde Middleton (née Cumbers))
Sitter in 15 portraits
Artist associated with 899 portraits
Yevonde, also known as Madame Yevonde, was a London-based photographer of portraits and still life throughout much of the twentieth century. She was a pioneer in photographic techniques, experimenting with solarisation and associated particularly with the Vivex colour process, which she utilised to great effect in the 1930s. ‘If we are going to have colour photographs, for heaven’s sake let’s have a riot of colour, none of your wishy washy hand tinted effects’ said Yevonde in 1932 in an address to the Royal Photographic Society.
As an innovator committed to colour photography when it was not considered a serious medium, Yevonde’s work is significant in the history of British portrait photography. Her most renowned body of work is a series of women dressed as goddesses posed in surreal tableaux exhibited in 1935.
For research and Yevonde Collection enquiries email: [email protected] or [email protected]
For access to Yevonde’s daybooks and archive materials email: [email protected]
To license and use images of Yevonde’s colour work please visit NPG Images or email [email protected]
To license and use images of Yevonde’s black and white work please visit Mary Evans Picture Library or email [email protected]
Other repositories include the Royal Photographic Society Collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum and the British Council Visual Arts Collection.
Explore further:
Yevonde: Life and Colour exhibition webpage
Curator's introduction to the Yevonde: Life and Colour exhibition
The Yevonde colour archive
'Assisting Yevonde' blog post
by Yevonde
Vivex colour print, 1932
On display at The Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
NPG P871(3)
Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester
by Yevonde
Vivex colour print, 1935
On display at The Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
NPG P871(1)
Gertrude Lawrence possibly as the Muse of Comedy
by Yevonde
Vivex colour print, July 1936
On display at The Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
NPG P871(2)
by Yevonde
Vivex colour print, January 1936
On display at The Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
NPG P1839
by Yevonde
Vivex colour print, January 1936
NPG P1838
by Yevonde
Vivex colour print, 1937
On display at The Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
NPG P871(4)
by Yevonde
Vivex colour print on black card mount, 1937
On display at The Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
NPG P871(5)
by Yevonde
dye transfer print, 1940
NPG P620
Helen Venetia (née Duncombe), Viscountess D'Abernon
by Yevonde
bromide print on card mount, published 1 April 1914
NPG x11644
Venetia (née Duncombe), Viscountess D'Abernon
by Yevonde (Madame Yevonde) (Yevonde Middleton (née Cumbers))
10 x 8 inches glass plate negative, Published 1 April 1914
NPG x202502
Doris Louise Cleghorn Church (née Somerville)
by Yevonde
halftone reproduction tear sheet, published 21 July 1915
NPG x136558
Doris Louise Cleghorn Church (née Somerville)
by Yevonde
matte collodion printing-out paper print, 1915
NPG x136559
Doris Louise Cleghorn Church (née Somerville)
by Yevonde
platinum print, 1915
On display at The Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
NPG x136560
by Yevonde (Madame Yevonde) (Yevonde Middleton (née Cumbers))
halftone reproduction tear sheet, published 14 February 1917
On display at The Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
NPG x193468
Gladys Helen Rachel (née Goldsmid), Lady Swaythling
by Yevonde
bromide print on velvet card mount, 1918
NPG x26348
Lady Alexandra Henrietta Louisa Haig (later Alexandra Trevor-Roper, Lady Dacre)
by Yevonde
bromide print on tissue and card mount, 1920s
NPG x182276
by Yevonde, printed by Lilywhite Ltd
hand-coloured bromide postcard print, 1920s
NPG x198107
by Yevonde
bromide postcard print, 1920s
NPG x198141
Folk Song: 'The Brisk Young Wodow' (Arts League of Service Travelling Theatre)
by Yevonde
bromide postcard print, 1920s
NPG x198145
An Absurdity: 'The Old Wives' (Arts League of Service Travelling Theatre)
by Yevonde
bromide postcard print, 1920s
NPG x198146
An Absurdity: 'The Old Wives' (Arts League of Service Travelling Theatre)
by Yevonde
bromide postcard print, 1920s
NPG x198147
by Yevonde
gelatin silver copy print, 1920s
NPG x196084
by Yevonde (Madame Yevonde) (Yevonde Middleton (née Cumbers))
halftone reproduction tear sheet, published 3 March 1920
On display at The Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
NPG x193469
by Yevonde
sepia matte bromide print, 1922
On display at The Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
NPG x26405
by Yevonde (Madame Yevonde) (Yevonde Middleton (née Cumbers))
colour relief halftone reproduction tear sheet, published 8 November 1922
On display at The Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
NPG x193470
by Yevonde
chlorobromide print on black paper mount, 1923
On display at The Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
NPG x11823
by Yevonde
chlorobromide print on tissue and card mount, 14 October 1924
NPG x131759
Lady Alexandra Henrietta Louisa Haig (later Alexandra Trevor-Roper, Lady Dacre)
by Yevonde
bromide print on tissue and card mount, 19 December 1924
On display at The Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
NPG x182268
Lady Alexandra Henrietta Louisa Haig (later Alexandra Trevor-Roper, Lady Dacre)
by Yevonde
bromide print on tissue and card mount, 19 December 1924
NPG x182269
Hon. Diana Elizabeth Margaret Skeffington
by Yevonde
bromide print on tissue and card mount, 25 March 1926
NPG x182253
by Yevonde
photogravure mounted on tissue and cream card, circa 1926
On display at The Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
NPG x17368
Lady Victoria Doris Rachel Haig
by Yevonde
bromide print on tissue and card mount, 25 October 1927
NPG x182250
Lady Alexandra Henrietta Louisa Haig (later Alexandra Trevor-Roper, Lady Dacre)
by Yevonde
bromide print on tissue and card mount, 25 February 1927
NPG x182277
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