Rico Puhlmann
Rico Puhlmann | |
|---|---|
| File:Rico Puhlmann.jpg | |
| Born | Richard Georg Willi Puhlmann Template:Birth date |
| Died | July 17, 1996 (aged 62) Atlantic Ocean near East Moriches, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Fashion photographer |
Richard Georg Willi Puhlmann (June 25, 1934 – July 17, 1996) was a German fashion photographer renowned for his collaborations with top models, stylists, and designers. He perished in the 1996 crash of TWA Flight 800.
Early life
Puhlmann was born in Berlin in 1934 and began his career as a child actor during World War II, notably playing a lead role in the 1943 film Little Muck. After the war, his acting pursuits diminished, with only small parts in two DEFA films released in 1949 and 1954.
Photography career
From 1951 to 1955, Puhlmann attended the Berlin University of the Arts, studying fashion design, art design, and art history. Starting in 1955, he embarked on a freelance career as a fashion illustrator and photographer for German publications as well as international magazines such as Vogue France, Burda, Glamour, GQ, and Harper's Bazaar. His portfolio included portraits of notable figures like Isabella Rossellini, Cindy Crawford, Mel Gibson, Naomi Campbell, among others.
In 1970, he moved to New York City to further develop his career in fashion photography, contributing to Harper's Bazaar, Glamour, GQ, and The New York Times. In 1972, he earned recognition from the New York Society of Publication Designers. Between 1973 and 1976, he collaborated with Sender Freies Berlin on the television series 'Fashion Journal - Sounds and Silhouettes'. In 1976, he introduced a blouse collection under the label Rico Puhlmann Design.
During the 1980s and 1990s, Puhlmann created visual advertising campaigns for leading fashion and beauty brands including Ungaro, Fendi, Donna Karan (DKNY), Calvin Klein, Estée Lauder, L'Oréal, Clinique, and Revlon. His work is displayed permanently in the 'People, Fashion and Machines' exhibition at the Nordhorn City Museum in Germany.
Death
On July 17, 1996, Puhlmann lost his life when N93119, the Boeing 747-100 operating TWA Flight 800 en route to Charles de Gaulle International Airport near Paris, exploded approximately twelve minutes after departure over the Atlantic Ocean off Long Island’s coast. All 230 passengers and crew members aboard perished. He was traveling for a professional engagement in Paris. Interestingly, Polish model Agnieszka Kotlarska, one of his clients, avoided the disaster by canceling her flight at the last moment.
He was survived by his two brothers Klaus and Heinz who reside in Berlin.
Filmography
- 1942: Front Theatre
- 1943: Love Stories
- 1944: Dear Muck
- 1944: The Green Salon
- 1945: The Pyre
- 1949: The Marriage of Figaro
- 1954: Pole Poppenspäler
External links
- Pages with broken file links
- Articles with hCards
- 1934 births
- 1996 deaths
- Accidental deaths in New York (state)
- German fashion photographers
- Photographers from Berlin
- German male child actors
- 20th-century German male actors
- Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1996
- Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in the United States
- TWA Flight 800
- German expatriate male actors in the United States
- Berlin University of the Arts alumni
- Male actors from Berlin