Dovima with Elephants

Dovima and the Elephants

Photography has always been a large part of my childhood, namely because of my grandfather's recreational pursuit of the art after his retirement. When I was 12 my grandfather took my to see the Richard Avedon exhibit at the Fraenkel Photography Gallery in San Francsico because he thought it was important for me to expand my horizons. I was then and have since always been fascinated by Avedon's famous photograph of Dovima entitles 'Dovima and the Elephants'. I find this photograph to be so inspirational because I feel like I have grown up with it. I have always been into fashion and art and as I have learned more and more about this photo I realize how much it signifies the history of both of those things. The dress Dovima was wearing in the photo is an incrediably famous dress that was actually designed from the House of Christian Dior by Yves Saint Laurent himself and is now a famous piece of fashion history. Dovima herself is also a small piece of fashion's history. Dorothy Virginia Margaret Juba, best known as Dovima was the model who many in the industry herald as defining and beginning the era of the 'super model'. She is accredited as one of the most iconic women of fashion's time and as such represents a time when being a model wasn't just about being a waify 15 year old. I also have grown to appreciate Richard Avedon's work and realize the impact that it has had. Avedon has shot some very poinent and powerful photos that help put a retrospective view on many different aspects of our society. Overall, I find that despite the fact that it is so widely popular, Dovima and the Elephants is a photograph that has a special meaning that has inspired me the most.