Book Review: Slim Aarons - "A Place In The Sun"

In an era where the daily life of the elite is hidden behind curtains of privacy, Slim Aarons’s book “A Place in the Sun” proves to be an insightful and introspective montage of photographs. Navigating across the 250 carefully curated pictures, it is hard to deny that Aarons had a special place within high society. Although the majority of his subjects are celebrated and known by millions of people around the world, his photographs reveal moments that are unfamiliar to all. 

A Place in the Sun follows Aarons’s photography from the 1940s - ‘90s. He finds the exact and intricate moments where the privilege of the elite shines. There is much to appreciate in the work Aarons has put in to provide an accurate and personal representation of high society. He captures exotic and unique moments for which candid comprehension by any ordinary person is impossible.

His goal of finding beauty and outlining class is apparent throughout the 400 pages of the book. Numerous examples highlight Aarons’s eye for detail. Moments such as Aga Khan visiting his Sardinian Resort or Truman Capote in Palm Springs help photo-album aficionados to imagine what daily life must have looked like behind the pearly gates of fame and privilege. These types of pleasures, amusements, and highlights are vividly portrayed in each photo of A Place in the Sun. 

The eras and periods portrayed in this book carry a lot of nostalgia for times past. The sense of nostalgia that emanates from his photos may be unfamiliar to a lot of his younger audience but for the rest, it is synonymous with time travel. It also resonates with Aarons’s implicit vow of viewing everything in life with a positive and appreciative lens. His gorgeous outlook was a result of surviving the horrors of World War 2 and losing his twin brother. For most of his life, Aarons has balanced out the ugliness and insidiousness of his recollection of war with a stunning and laudable catalogue of photographs. 

Even though Slim Aarons has passed away, A Place in The Sun immortalizes his life’s work and achievements. The kind of access he enjoyed is shared by only a handful of individuals, and the chances to capture these highlights are rarer still. A Place in the Sun is a play on words that not only highlights Aarons’s position within the upper echelons of society but also showcases his unparalleled privilege among the privileged themselves.

Pages: 240
Size: 10.4 X 1.1 X 12.3 inches
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
Images Copyright: Slim Aarons & Getty Images

Buy "A Place in The Sun" at Slim Aarons Goods.