This book is an exhibition catalog from the Museum of Modern Art in New York. It accompanied a 1984 exhibit of the photographer's work. Irving Penn was an American photographer celebrated for his elegant fashion photography, incisive portraits, and meticulous still lifes. Over more than six decades at Vogue, he produced 163 covers. But he also photographed common people in their native lands - the U.S. and Europe, and countries as wide-ranging such as New Guinea and Dahomey and Morocco. Penn bridged fine art and commercial work, influencing modern photography worldwide. The catalog is replete with photos and the stories behind them.