From her earliest encounters with the camera, Miller straddled the worlds of being photographed and taking the photograph herself. By the late 1920s, she had become one of New York’s most sought-after models. Yet her ambition drove her behind the lens, placing her at the center of avant-garde circles in Paris, New York, London, and Cairo, and establishing her as a pivotal figure in Surrealism and modern photography.

Miller’s career began in front of the camera, posing for her father and later for high-fashion publications. Her androgynous elegance captured the spirit of the 1920s, but it was her creative drive that led her to Paris. There, she apprenticed with Man Ray, engaging in collaborative experiments with solarisation, self-portraiture, and surreal compositions that pushed the boundaries of photography.

This exhibition features around 250 vintage and modern prints, including works never before displayed. It spans Miller’s engagement with French Surrealism, her groundbreaking fashion photography, and her fearless wartime reportage. It also sheds light on lesser-known aspects of her practice, such as her extraordinary photographs of the Egyptian landscape in the 1930s, revealing her poetic vision and insatiable curiosity.

“It was a matter of getting out on a damn limb and sawing it off behind you”- Lee Miller

During World War II, Miller became an accredited war correspondent with the U.S. Army. Her photographs of liberated concentration camps and post-war Europe reflect both her commitment to truth and her deep human sensitivity. Through these works, she confronted the horrors of conflict while documenting resilience, hope, and the complexity of power.

Lee Miller reminds us that photography is not merely a means of documentation. It is an act of audacity, a tool for experimentation, and a witness to the world, capturing both its beauty and its rawest truths.

Beyond her thematic audacity, Miller was a pioneer in the use of light and composition. Her experiments with reflections, shadows, and unusual angles not only challenged the photographic conventions of her time but also created a visual language that fused the poetic with the striking. This blend of technique and creativity allowed her to produce images that feel alive, with a constant tension between reality and fantasy, solidifying her as one of the most influential photographers of the 20th century.

Miller’s work was profoundly shaped by her experiences in different cities and artistic circles: Paris, New York, London, and Cairo. Her interactions with writers, artists, and avant-garde thinkers expanded her perspective and enriched her photographic practice. This constant engagement with the culture and politics of her era enabled her to address a wide range of subjects, from fashion and surrealism to war and exotic landscapes, always with an attentive eye for beauty, irony, and the complexity of human life.

Organised by Tate Britain in collaboration with the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris and the Art Institute of Chicago, this retrospective confirms Miller’s place not only as a pioneering photographer but also as a central figure in 20th-century art. Her archive, comprising approximately 60,000 negatives, prints, and journals, continues to inspire contemporary artists and photographers worldwide.