How Philippe Halsman Experimented on Celebrities (20 photos)

In the 1950s, Marilyn Monroe, Richard Nixon, Salvador Dalí, Sophia Loren, and hundreds of other members of the world's elite—politicians, scientists, actors—participated in a psychological study by photographer Philippe Halsman.

The experimental field was called Jumpology. Halsman proposed that every celebrity could shed their pretense and public persona if Halsman coaxed them to jump during a photo shoot. Halsman's Jump Book was out of print for decades until this photographic gem was revived by Damiani.

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For six years, the popular New York photographer, whose images often graced the cover of LIFE magazine, asked his models to jump as high as they could at the end of each portrait shoot. Philippe photographed the moment of the jump using a flash.



Actress Grace Kelly.

American physicist Robert Oppenheimer.



Actress Audrey Hepburn.



Actress and model Marilyn Monroe.



Artist Salvador Dalí.

The jump, as a rule, was bizarre and humorous, but at the same time perfectly suited the artist's purposes. When a person jumped, all the "armor" they had worn throughout the day instantly fell away. Halsman introduced the jump into his photography at a time when he himself had lost the ability to do so. The photographer had fractured his iliac crest, and these shoots allowed him to briefly revisit his childhood.



The Duke and Duchess of Windsor.



American actress Eva Marie Saint.



British stage and film actor Sir Peter Ustinov.



Anthony Perkins, American actor.



Actress and writer Shirley MacLaine.

During the first jump, people seemed to come alive. For example, Marilyn Monroe jumped as if she were a little girl the first time. When asked to repeat the jump, she became embarrassed and resumed her more reserved behavior.



Singer Gisele Mackenzie.



Actress Brigitte Bardot.



Film actress Jayne Mansfield.



Singer, actor, and showman Frank Sinatra.



Walter Fries was a German officer who fought in the First and Second World Wars, served as a tank general, and received the Knight's Cross.

Of course, there were those who considered themselves above such experiments or, for various reasons, refused to participate. "Every refusal was heartbreaking," the photographer admitted, "but for every 'no,' there were many 'yes.'" For example, after his first jump, French writer Romain Gary begged Halsman to repeat the experiment: "Please, can I jump again? I don't think I was emotional enough!"



Actress Kim Novak.



Dancer Edward Vilella.



Italian actress and singer Sophia Loren.



Richard Nixon — 37th President of the United States.