American photographer Richard Avedon was BOTD in 1923. Born and raised in New York City, he became friends with his classmate James Baldwin while working on their high-school magazine. In 1944, he began working as a commercial photographer. By 1962, he was the lead photographer for American Vogue, photographing the pre-eminent cultural figures of post-World War Two America, including Marilyn Monroe, Truman Capote, Malcolm X, The Beatles, Allen Ginsberg and Andy Warhol. His portraits typically placed the subject against a stark white background, staring mournfully into the camera. He worked with fashion designers Gianni Versace and Calvin Klein early in their careers, and helped launch the modelling career of Brooke Shields. He also documented the Black Civil Rights movement, anti-Vietnam War protests, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and a well-regarded collection of portraits of rural America. He was the inspiration for Fred Astaire’s fashion photographer in the 1957 film Funny Face, and contributed photographs for the film, including a now-famous close up of Audrey Hepburn. Married and divorced twice, Avedon’s bisexuality was revealed in a 2017 biography, including a decade-long affair with director Mike Nichols. He died in 2004 aged 81.