Remembering Audrey

Remembering Audrey HERE

Every year around this time I especially remember Audrey Hepburn. Her birthday is on January 20.

Audrey Hepburn with Bob Willoughby 1958

Bob Willoughby was a photographer to the stars, and he took many wonderful photographs of her.

Audrey Hepburn with Bob Willoughby in 1963

I can never look at too many photos of her. "Audrey 100" is a book that Audrey's family has compiled with 100 stunning images. Paying strict attention to aesthetic beauty, artistic expression, and personal significance, they have lovingly selected these photographs to represent the qualities Hepburn herself stood for throughout her life and career.

Audrey 100 HERE

I collect images over the year, that I hope to use for my annual Audrey birthday post. I always seem to find a couple I haven't seen.

Richard Avedon took this photo of Audrey Hepburn

I especially love to see "at home" photos. There are a few of Audrey Hepburn's homes in the earlier years of her career.

Architectural Digest used one from the 1950's for a cover in 2006. Does anyone have this issue? Are there more photos of her home inside? I didn't find much on the AD web site.


The house photographed is the Beverly Hills home she shared with then husband Mel Ferrer in the 1950's has all the trendy trappings of the day.

Audrey Hepburn and Mel Ferrer at home in the 1950's

Audrey was an animal lover and kept a pet fawn in her home for awhile in the 1950's.

Smoking and a boomerang print on the couch were en vogue in the 1950's

Mel and Audrey also had a Malibu home.

Audrey playing ping pong at home

Malibu home of Audrey Hepburn and Mel Ferrer

Why do so many of us girls love Audrey? As a young girl about town in New York, I of course fancied myself as my own version of Holly Golightly. And of course Audrey was so elegant, so funny, so chic. Later she became a role model for all her charitable work for UNICEF. What girl didn't love her?

One of my treasured possessions is my own personal photo of Audrey. She's posing with my a dearest friend. They are at the Museum of Modern Art. There was a party for Audrey honoring her films that night. I did the flower arrangements for that party.

I was longing to see her, just a glimpse of her. My friend loved her even more than I did. And then there he was with her!

He worked at MOMA and secured an invitation that night. He waved me over, and whispered "get a camera".

This was in the days way before cell phones, much a less cell phone camera, and it was pre-blog days where we have acquired the habit of photo documenting everything to the point of numbness.

I didn't even photograph my own work that night, I didn't even own a camera! But I did as I was told, and found a a man with a camera, and brought him over to my friend, who was still standing next to Audrey!

He said, "Miss Hepburn this is my dearest friend Valorie Hart, and she arranged the bouquets on the tables tonight".

"Lovely," she said, "Everything is so pretty and perfect and my favorite color. How did you know my favorite color?"

I told her she was too kind, and asked if I might have a photo of her with my friend.

They both passed away.
And I am an old lady with a faded photo and great memories.

My photo of Audrey Hepburn with my dearest friend