Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Harold Lloyd: stills by a silent star

Louise Jury Arts Correspondent
Friday 09 December 2005 01:00 GMT
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

He was a comic genius of silent cinema who made more movies than Charlie Chaplin.

But Harold Lloyd also loved being on the other side of the camera, taking more than 300,000 photographs including shots of films stars such as Marilyn Monroe.

Highlights of his collection are to go on public show for the first time alongside stills from the films that made him a star, including The Freshman, The Kid Brother and Safety Last, from which the still of Lloyd hanging from the hands of a clock high above the street has become an enduring image of American film.

Lloyd's granddaughter, Suzanne Lloyd, who travelled with him as he took many of his images, said he would have been thrilled at the exhibition, which opens at the Proud Central Gallery in London today. "He was at the cutting edge of doing things. He had a great eye. And this photography is part of that. He always had his camera. He drove us all mad taking pictures of everything."

However, Lloyd, who died in 1971 aged 77, shot all his photographs in a 3D technique that meant they have had to be processed differently to turn them into two-dimensional images.

The exhibition, Harold Lloyd: Silent Pictures, runs until 11 February.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in