This luxe edition provides a deep and comprehensive look at the groundbreaking career of Slim Aarons, spanning five decades. The book begins with Slim’s fieldwork as an army photographer and continues through his fledgling days in Hollywood, opening the LIFE bureau in Rome, doing fashion and travel shoots for Holiday, and finally traveling the world for Town & Country.

With a new and definitive biographical essay, spotlights on key moments in his career, and exclusive insights from former associates, Slim Aarons: The Essential Collection gives readers an unprecedented look into Slim’s private world. The supervisor of Slim’s image archive, author Shawn Waldron’s text digs into the photographer’s biography in unprecedented detail and reveals new information, while award-winning journalist, historian, and New York Times bestselling author Lesley Blume provides historical context to Slim’s career. Additionally, Slim’s former assistant and author Laura Hawk reveals the intricacies of her friendship with Slim, and historian, author, and Vanity Fair contributing editor Nick Foulkes explores Slim’s influence on our current cultural moment.

After five previous books, Slim Aarons: The Essential Collection presents the best of the previous image collections, including hundreds of iconic black-and-white and color photos, along with more than 100 rare and previously unpublished works. This beautifully produced book, a tribute to Slim Aarons’s incredible contribution to modern photography, is the result of intensive scholarship and research, making it a must-have for any Slim fan and photography lover.