(Not Only) Black + White Magazine
(Not Only) Black + White first appeared in newsagents in the early 90s.
The 90s were a less prudish time, before economic rationalism & endless wars; before social media and “community standards” meant being exiled at the mere hint of a nipple.
Black + White regularly featuring artistic and fashion focussed portrait shoots of celebrities, models, athletes and actors, more often than not in the nude. I’ll admit I purchased my first copy because it had nude photos of a celebrity crush of mine, but I soon fell in the love with the photography, the interviews and graphic design.
It was published from 1992 thru until 2007 - 89 editions in total, with additional special editions showcasing athletes of the Atlanta & Sydney Olympics, along with 3 photography “Masters” editions, and a range of one off specials for “Intimate Portraits”, “Heroes, Angels & Devils”, and people in the music industry among others.
The finest photographers from around the world, photographing the most beautiful celebrities, models and athletes, mixed in with long form interviews covering everything from politics, movies, music and fashion in a real, non tokenistic way.
Printed in a larger than standard format, the magazine consisted of heavy paper stock and the photos seemed to leap off the pages. In my opinion it showcased the pinnacle of editorial portraiture, and truly displays the raw beauty of film photography.
It was designed around the art, not advertisements…hell, even the few ads in the magazine were artistic. And it wasn’t shy about leaving plenty of negative space, empty areas of the page that allows the power of the art and designs to breathe.
It took me about 3 years but I was finally able to complete my collection, paying over the odds from an eBay seller for an edition featuring Gigi Edgley.
The collection is one of my most cherished possessions and it remains a regular source of inspiration for me.
