Dali's Mustache
| Company type | Publication |
|---|---|
| Industry | Photography, Art book |
| Founded | October 1954 |
| Founder | Salvador Dalí, Philippe Halsman |
| Headquarters | New York , United States |
| Products | Photographic book |
Dali's Mustache is a whimsically absurd publication created by the surrealist painter Salvador Dalí (1904–1989) in collaboration with photographer Philippe Halsman (1906–1979). Initially released in New York in October 1954, it later appeared in slightly altered French editions during the 1980s and 1990s.
Carrying the subtitle A Photographic Interview, the book presents a series of brief questions directed at Dalí on one page, with his responses on the next. Each answer is accompanied by Halsman's monochrome photographs—playful and ironic portraits that highlight Dalí's signature mustache.
Publishing history
Philippe Halsman, who lived and practiced photography in the United States from 1940 until his passing, encountered Dalí in New York in 1941. At that time, Dalí and Gala were residing there (1940–1948), with Dalí engaged in painting and writing. Their friendship persisted throughout their lifetimes.
The idea for the book originated with Richard "Dick" Simon, co-founder of Simon & Schuster, after Halsman shared some Dalí photographs intended for Life magazine. Simon had previously encouraged Halsman to produce a photographic interview book featuring French actor Fernandel, which achieved commercial success and financed Halsman’s subsequent projects.
Halsman suggested concentrating an entire volume on one distinctive feature of the artist—the mustache—a concept that intrigued Dalí. Over several months, both collaborated intensively, exchanging ideas and jointly developing the project.
Simon & Schuster published the first English edition; Halsman translated Dalí’s uniquely Catalan-accented French preface. The back cover carried a cautionary note: "Warning! This book is preposterous."
Subsequent French editions preserved the original title but translated the subtitle, questions, and answers; replaced the back cover warning with Attention! Livre absurde; substituted the Mona Lisa image holding dollar bills with one featuring coins; and added an editor’s note explaining photographic techniques ("D'interet seulement pour les photographes").
Dedication
Both creators dedicated this work to their wives—Dalí to Gala (married 1934) and Halsman to Yvonne Moser (married 1936).
Preface (Salvador Dalí)
Dalí opens the preface by recounting his journey from childhood through what he calls his "first American campaign." A black-and-white photograph shows him holding a December 14, 1936 issue of Time magazine, remarking that at that time he sported "the smallest mustache in the world," which soon expanded "like the power of my imagination."
In the latter portion, Dalí adopts third-person narration to underscore the importance of his mustache. He references figures such as Delila and Giambattista della Porta, who regarded facial hair as conduits for creative energy. Invoking Plato and Leonardo da Vinci’s admiration for facial hair, Dalí declares his mustache as the most remarkable hairy phenomenon of the twentieth century.
Photographic Interview
The book showcases 28 black-and-white portraits of Dalí displaying diverse expressions involving his emblematic mustache.
Each photograph is preceded by a succinct question addressing aspects of Dalí’s character or behavior; answers appear below the images. These replies vary from brief to enigmatic, occasionally absurd or omitted altogether. Halsman’s photography amplifies the resonance of Dalí’s statements.
Four images hint at Dalí’s financial achievements—one originally featuring dollar bills (restricted by 1954 U.S. regulations), another showing American coins. The term "Avida Dollars," coined around 1940 by André Breton as an anagram for Salvador Dalí meaning "eager for dollars," reflects this theme. Dalí openly acknowledged monetary ambitions, humorously styling his mustache into a dollar sign in one photograph.
Another picture depicts Mona Lisa bearing Dalí’s face while holding $10,000 bills—both referencing Marcel Duchamp’s Dadaist ready-made L.H.O.O.Q. and positioning Dalí as a modern art icon supplanting La Gioconda.
The concluding image epitomizes Halsman and Dalí’s aim to captivate readers:
- Question: "I have the feeling I have discovered your secret, Salvador. Could it be that you are crazy?"
- Answer: "I am certainly saner than the person who bought this book."
Accompanying this reply is Halsman's portrait entitled "Dalí, saner than the person who bought this book."
Postface (Philippe Halsman)
In the postface, Halsman recounts various stories about difficulties encountered during the photography sessions: Photograph No. 15, which draws inspiration from Dalí's The Persistence of Memory, portrays Dalí’s face on a melting pocket watch. This image was the most complex to produce, demanding more than a hundred hours of meticulous work, and was later confused with a painted artwork. Photograph No. 18 captures a fly and honey delicately placed on Dalí’s mustache. The primary obstacle was locating a fly during the cold New York winter, which postponed the shoot until springtime and necessitated Dalí’s absence. Photograph No. 21 presents Dalí peering through holes in a slice of Gruyère cheese, with his mustache tips emerging through additional punctures. The process caused some hair loss as assistants held his mustache taut.
More images were produced than those published; even Halsman’s children contributed creative ideas during their "mustachomania" phase.
At the conclusion of the postface (in the French edition), Halsman shares a dialogue with a young actress who questioned the absurdity of a "mustache with a message." Halsman clarified that Dalí’s mustache represents individuality and uniqueness.
Notes of the editor
The editor’s notes in the French edition provide detailed explanations of the technical methods used for selected photographs, targeting professional photographers.
Reception
Halsman’s photographic work and Dali's Mustache received widespread critical attention in various journals and publications.
The 1989 catalogue from the Staatsgalerie Stuttgart commended it for containing some of Dalí’s finest photographs, all created under his personal supervision.
Photography magazines described it as "a timeless classic" and "a delightfully clever photographic collection and collector’s item." A first edition featuring Dalí’s sketches and dedication fetched 6,875 US-Dollars at auction in 2012.
Author Michael Elsohn Ross referred to it as "a wild and eccentric little book," recommending it as an inspirational resource for students interested in creative hair design.
Ethologist and surrealist artist Desmond Morris mentioned Dalí’s mustache in his 2008 publication The Naked Man, suggesting that Dali's Mustache might be unique as a book solely devoted to one person’s facial hair.
In 1991/92, the Salvador Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida, organized an exhibition showcasing Halsman's photographs from Dali's Mustache.
From "the smallest mustache of the world" to "trademark"
During the mid-1920s, Salvador Dalí sported a clean-shaven look. By the late 1920s or early 1930s, he adopted what he termed "the smallest mustache of the world," resembling an Menjou mustache. This style is captured in a 1933 photograph taken shortly before his marriage to Gala. He retained this style until the late 1930s.
Photographs by Philippe Halsman (1942, 1954), Irving Penn (1947), and Alfredo Valente (circa 1950) document Dalí’s evolution toward longer mustache tips that twisted upward during his years in the United States. By the 1950s, his mustache had extended to approximately 25 centimeters, becoming a hallmark of his public image. His 1954 publication Dali's Mustache further solidified this signature feature.
Dalí’s flamboyant appearance, accentuated by his distinctive mustache, became an unofficial "trademark" recognized widely. By the 1950s, he had fully embraced his public persona, with the mustache serving as a defining element.
In a 2010 Movember campaign poll conducted by MSN HIM, Dalí’s mustache was voted "the best-known mustache ever," securing 24% of over 14,000 votes.
This facial hair has been characterized as "a significant component of his eccentric artist persona," "Dalí’s most identifiable feature," and an exaggerated symbol of his post-1940 identity. It has also been described as a pop culture icon with "phallic connotations," as well as a "gravity-defying," heavily waxed, and flexible artistic creation. Gertrude Stein, who admired Dalí personally, acclaimed it as "the most beautiful moustache in Europe."
In later years, Dalí trimmed his mustache considerably. One of the final known photographs—taken by Helmut Newton in 1986 when Dalí was 82—shows him with a grey, drooping mustache.
Possible inspirational prototypes
Salvador Dalí and Luis Buñuel, who shared a long-standing friendship, held actor Adolphe Menjou in high regard. In 1928, Buñuel authored an essay titled Variations on Menjou's Mustache published in La Gaceta Literaria. Dalí famously proclaimed Menjou's mustache to be surrealistic, coining the phrase "La moustache d'Adolphe Menjou est surréaliste". At that time, although Dalí did not smoke, he would offer faux mustaches from a silver cigarette case inscribed with "Moustache? Moustache? Moustache?", though very few accepted these playful offerings.
The origins of Dalí’s unique mustache style are often attributed to two prominent Spanish personalities: the painter Velázquez, whose artwork Dalí deeply admired and artistically reinterpreted, and Philip IV of Spain (Felipe IV), also known as Philipp the Great or Planet King. Philip IV was a significant art patron who appointed Velázquez as his court painter. Sharing the first name "Felipe," Dalí prominently exhibited a framed reproduction of Velázquez’s portrait of Philip IV within his residence.
Dalí also drew inspiration from writer Marcel Proust, whose intricate literary style influenced him. He likened his mustache to Proust’s, noting they used the same type of pomade: "[The mustache] represents the most serious aspect of my character. It is a simple Hungarian-style mustache. Monsieur Marcel Proust applied the identical pomade for his mustache."
Dalí′s mustache in marketing, promotion, and literature
The mustache of Dalí evolved into a potent commercial emblem with diverse uses.
During the 1960s, singer Françoise Hardy, renowned for her favorable public persona, was captured by photographer Jean Marie Périer alongside Dalí. A memorable image portrays Hardy with her hair styled to mimic Dalí’s famous mustache, underlining its significance as a branding element.
In 1974, German publisher Rogner & Bernhard issued a compilation of Dalí's literary works featuring cover art centered on his unmistakable mustache, further solidifying its link to his persona.
The Salvador Dalí Museum located in Saint Petersburg employs the mustache as a graphic motif on its digital platform. In 2010, a public initiative unveiled an enormous three-dimensional mustache billboard—measuring 40 feet in length and 14 feet in height—crafted from varnished styrofoam, which has since become a major attraction for visitors.
An advertising campaign by an Italian art institution, Civita Art School, introduced a "Baby Dalí" character instantly recognizable by his signature mustache to endorse the slogan "Artists born here."
In literary works, Kenan Görgün’s novel La Moustache de Dali delves into the painter’s heritage through contemplations on his artistry and iconic mustache.
See also
Comments and references
External links
- Halsman′s photographs of Salvador Dalí (Magnum Photos). This collection includes both versions of the altered Mona Lisa – one with gold coins/Halsman's hands and another with dollar bills/Dalí's hands. The photograph featuring a slice of Gruyère cheese is not part of this selection.