Edward Quinn and his nephew Wolfgang Frei, 1963
© Edward Quinn Archive
A talk by the nephew of Edward Quinn who captured the day Grace Kelly met her Prince
Come behind the lens of Edward Quinn who was born in 1920 and grew up in Ireland. He left as a young man and moved to London and then to the Riviera where he became known as a professional and a trusted photographer of the stars.
Starting in the 1950s, he lived and worked as a photographer on the Côte d’Azur, which was a playground for celebrities from the world of show biz, art and business during the “Golden Fifties”. In 1951, Edward Quinn met and photographed Pablo Picasso for the first time. Their friendship lasted until Picasso’s death in 1973. Quinn also photographed guests at the Bal de la Rose, the annual gala in Monaco, which Princess Grace created to raise funds for her philanthropic work.
Quinn's nephew Wolfgang Frei and his wife Ursula manage the archives with thousands of photos that Edward Quinn took during his career covering major events on the Riviera, including when he photographed Grace Kelly in 1955 at the Cannes Film Festival. A few months earlier in March 1955, Grace had won the Oscar for Best Actress for her role in The Country Girl .
Click HERE for Edward Quinn's biography
All photos © Edward Quinn Archive
About the speaker
Quinn’s nephew Wolfgang Frei, who inherited the Archive in 2011, and his wife Ursula, both former journalists, are the owners of Edward Quinn Archive AG. Since 2006, they have overseen the extensive portfolio with the help of their son Tim, a journalist.
Wolfgang worked with his uncle “Ted” Quinn on numerous book and film projects and was a frequent guest of the Quinns, staying with them almost every year at their house in Nice on the Côte d’Azur.
Wolfgang's Swiss aunt Gret married Edward Quinn and they retired to Switzerland in 1992 when Quinn's health started to deteriorate. Quinn lived in Altendorf near Zurich with his wife Gret until his death in 1997.
Click HERE for Frei's biography
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One of Grace Kelly's promotional assignments as part of the American delegation attending the Cannes Film Festival in 1955 consisted of a photo shoot at the Palace of Monaco with one of Europe’s most eligible bachelors, Prince Rainier III.
Most people do not realise that the first photos taken of the young Oscar-winning actress Grace Kelly meeting the Prince were taken by Irish photographer Edward Quinn who worked at the Cannes Film Festival and won the confidence of Grace while she was on the Riviera to promote her movie 'To Catch a Thief'.
A year later 19th April 1956 the 'wedding of the century' took place in the Principality of Monaco between Grace Kelly and Her Prince.
Buy your ticket!*****
The Edward Quinn Archive comprise photos from the 1950s to the 1970s by the photographer (1920–1997). His images capture the unique charm, sophistication and chic elegance of this legendary time and place. Wolfgang Frei will speak about the era and his uncle's career and talent for capturing those precious moments, including the first meeting between Grace Kelly the young American actress attending the Cannes Film Festival as part of the American Delegation to promote her movie "To catch a thief". A magazine suggested a photo shoot in Monaco and an invitation was extended by the Prince's palace to the young actress. Edward Quinn captured that magical first meeting in Monaco.