Jackie: My Obsession

© 2012 Ron Galella Archive
To say that Ron Galella, the godfather of US paparazzi culture, is obsessed with Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy Onassis is an understatement. Galella took literally thousands of candid shots of the legendary style icon from 1968 through 1981, and his photographs remain the most enduring, most beautiful, and most revealing images of her in existence. In fact, it is widely held that our collective memory of Jackie would be non-existent if it weren’t for Ron Galella, though his body of work did not come by easy means. Galella had to deal with constant hurtles of court battles, restraining orders, and heavy fines, because Jackie put up a grand front of personal privacy. Fashion designer and director Tom Ford was right on the money when he said, “Ironically, the very photographs that Mrs. Onassis resisted were the ones that define her as an icon.”
And just when you thought you’d seen every iconic image of Jackie, this 400-page, gilded masterpiece arrives featuring many never-before-published photos of the subject who is arguably the most famous woman in history. “She was, and still is, the most famous, most photographed woman in the world,” Galella writes in his introduction to Jackie: My Obsession. “I believe only Elvis could meet or exceed her level of fame.”
Among the hundreds of spontaneous portraits of Jackie in Jackie: My Obsession, are many intriguing shots of her with the Kennedy family, as well as long, lingering glimpses into the Jackie-and-Ari years. Where Galella’s first book, Jacqueline (1976), was more of an autobiographical entry from the photographer, this book functions as a richly-told visual narrative of the eternal icon’s life, and acts as the definitive collection of Jackie photographs. Rounding out the book are written contributions by Matthias Harder, Chief Curator of the Helmut Newton Foundation, and Valentino, along with quotes from various sources, including Michael Kors, Andy Warhol, Halston, Christine Onassis, and more.
Jackie: My Obsession has been produced in two editions: a standard edition of 2300, with a white, canvas-bound hardcover, and hits of gold foil; and a very limited slip-cased edition of 200 that includes a signed and numbered 11x14" print of the cover image—Galella's most famous photo, Windblown Jackie. **
And just when you thought you’d seen every iconic image of Jackie, this 400-page, gilded masterpiece arrives featuring many never-before-published photos of the subject who is arguably the most famous woman in history. “She was, and still is, the most famous, most photographed woman in the world,” Galella writes in his introduction to Jackie: My Obsession. “I believe only Elvis could meet or exceed her level of fame.”
Among the hundreds of spontaneous portraits of Jackie in Jackie: My Obsession, are many intriguing shots of her with the Kennedy family, as well as long, lingering glimpses into the Jackie-and-Ari years. Where Galella’s first book, Jacqueline (1976), was more of an autobiographical entry from the photographer, this book functions as a richly-told visual narrative of the eternal icon’s life, and acts as the definitive collection of Jackie photographs. Rounding out the book are written contributions by Matthias Harder, Chief Curator of the Helmut Newton Foundation, and Valentino, along with quotes from various sources, including Michael Kors, Andy Warhol, Halston, Christine Onassis, and more.
Jackie: My Obsession has been produced in two editions: a standard edition of 2300, with a white, canvas-bound hardcover, and hits of gold foil; and a very limited slip-cased edition of 200 that includes a signed and numbered 11x14" print of the cover image—Galella's most famous photo, Windblown Jackie. **
** The standard first edition hardcover is available for USD $400. The limited slip-cased edition, with numbered 11x14" print, is available for USD $2000—please note, that's a $900 savings over gallery prices for separate purchases.
All copies are signed in gold pen and can be personally dedicated. Please enter the name of the person to whom you would like the book inscribed, exactly as you would like it to read, in the field provided during checkout. If you miss the field of entry, or decide prior to receiving shipping confirmation that you would like the book dedicated, please contact us with the details of your order along with your inscription, and we’ll take care of it for you.
Shipping and handling is an additional:
USD $10 for domestic delivery via USPS Media Mail
USD $50 for delivery to Canada via USPS International Priority Mail
USD $70 for delivery to all other territories via USPS International Priority Mail
Orders of three or more are subject to additional shipping charges. Please allow 2 to 3 business days for order processing, and up to two weeks for delivery. All sales are final.
If you absolutely can’t wait for your hardcover first edition—and who could blame you—copies can be purchased live and direct at Barneys New York Madison Avenue and Beverly Hills, as well as Rizzoli Books, and Clic Bookstore in Manhattan. Wider brick-and-mortar availability is expected soon. Limited editions can also be purchased in-person through our representative galleries and art consultancies found here.
If you have additional questions about the book, concerns regarding your order, or wish to submit a press inquiry please feel free to contact us. Otherwise, we thank you for your patronage, and we truly hope you enjoy Ron’s latest labor of love.
All copies are signed in gold pen and can be personally dedicated. Please enter the name of the person to whom you would like the book inscribed, exactly as you would like it to read, in the field provided during checkout. If you miss the field of entry, or decide prior to receiving shipping confirmation that you would like the book dedicated, please contact us with the details of your order along with your inscription, and we’ll take care of it for you.
Shipping and handling is an additional:
USD $10 for domestic delivery via USPS Media Mail
USD $50 for delivery to Canada via USPS International Priority Mail
USD $70 for delivery to all other territories via USPS International Priority Mail
Orders of three or more are subject to additional shipping charges. Please allow 2 to 3 business days for order processing, and up to two weeks for delivery. All sales are final.
If you absolutely can’t wait for your hardcover first edition—and who could blame you—copies can be purchased live and direct at Barneys New York Madison Avenue and Beverly Hills, as well as Rizzoli Books, and Clic Bookstore in Manhattan. Wider brick-and-mortar availability is expected soon. Limited editions can also be purchased in-person through our representative galleries and art consultancies found here.
If you have additional questions about the book, concerns regarding your order, or wish to submit a press inquiry please feel free to contact us. Otherwise, we thank you for your patronage, and we truly hope you enjoy Ron’s latest labor of love.
Boxing with the Stars

© 2011 Verlhac Editions
A compendium of images surrounding the world of boxing—inside and outside the ring—by Ron Galella. Includes photos of Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Mike Tyson, Rocky Marciano, and Sylvester Stallone among many others, as well as a written contribution by Oscar-winning director Leon Gast (When We Were Kings, 1996).
Man in the Mirror: Michael Jackson

© 2009 PowerHouse Books
Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, was a superstar of unprecedented and epic proportions, and is still the best-selling recording artist of all time.
An icon raised in the spotlight, but ever reclusive and terribly shy, Jackson was the ideal subject for paparazzo extraordinaire Ron Galella, the nation’s most famous celebrity photojournalist. Galella shot Michael from his early days in the Jackson 5 right up to the weeks before his untimely death. Finding intimate moments with the legend offstage, he captured candid, beautiful, unguarded portraits of the man behind the mask and a lifetime of style and glamour.
Over the years Galella also captured Michael in the company of fellow celebrities—drawn, like Galella himself, to the biggest and brightest star of them all—including Muhammad Ali, Diana Ross, Chuck Berry, Brooke Shields, Jane Fonda, Liberace, Quincy Jones, Barry Manilow, Emmanuel Lewis, Liza Minnelli, Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie, Sophia Loren, Sylvester Stallone, Ted Kennedy, Dionne Warwick, Whitney Houston, Donald Trump, Eddie Murphy, Elizabeth Taylor, Madonna, and Marcel Marceau. He was able to find the personal side of Michael in images of him with his children, his sister Janet and the rest of the Jackson family, and even his pet chimpanzee, Bubbles.
In a tribute to the life and memory of Michael Jackson, Galella has compiled his comprehensive body of images of the King of Pop for the first time ever in Man in the Mirror: Michael Jackson.
An icon raised in the spotlight, but ever reclusive and terribly shy, Jackson was the ideal subject for paparazzo extraordinaire Ron Galella, the nation’s most famous celebrity photojournalist. Galella shot Michael from his early days in the Jackson 5 right up to the weeks before his untimely death. Finding intimate moments with the legend offstage, he captured candid, beautiful, unguarded portraits of the man behind the mask and a lifetime of style and glamour.
Over the years Galella also captured Michael in the company of fellow celebrities—drawn, like Galella himself, to the biggest and brightest star of them all—including Muhammad Ali, Diana Ross, Chuck Berry, Brooke Shields, Jane Fonda, Liberace, Quincy Jones, Barry Manilow, Emmanuel Lewis, Liza Minnelli, Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie, Sophia Loren, Sylvester Stallone, Ted Kennedy, Dionne Warwick, Whitney Houston, Donald Trump, Eddie Murphy, Elizabeth Taylor, Madonna, and Marcel Marceau. He was able to find the personal side of Michael in images of him with his children, his sister Janet and the rest of the Jackson family, and even his pet chimpanzee, Bubbles.
In a tribute to the life and memory of Michael Jackson, Galella has compiled his comprehensive body of images of the King of Pop for the first time ever in Man in the Mirror: Michael Jackson.
Viva l'Italia!

© 2009 Ron Galella Archive
For years, Ron Galella, “the Godfather of American paparazzo culture,” has provided the world a glimpse into the off-limits world of celebrity. With Viva l’Italia!, a deeper and more probing Galella emerges. He sets out to find his own Italian roots, and in so doing, takes us on a viaggio as he combs his vast archive for images of Italian and Italian-American actors, artists, and fashion designers, along with a wide range of other cultural icons.
Galella’s tour begins in Rome’s famed Cinecittà where Federico Fellini relaxes between takes on a film set. It was Fellini who proclaimed, “paparazzi are bandits of images,” coining the word with his character Señor Paparazzo in La Dolce Vita. As he continues on, Galella presents us with rare portraits of Italy’s most famous sons and daughters, including Virni Lisi, Isabella Rossellini, Silvana Mangano, Marlon Brando, Monica Bellucci, Carla Bruni, and Sophia Loren. Never one to shy away from bad boys, he even includes the “Dapper Don” John Gotti, emerging from federal court in Manhattan.
The appeal and power of Galella’s beautiful photography is complimented by extemporaneous quotes he has amassed over a half-century of travel and celebrity encounters. “You look Italian,” quipped Anna Magnani as Ron captured her in Rome, during the filming of The Secret of Santa Vittoria, with Virna Lisi and Anthony Quinn.
Some crossed the ocean, some changed their names, some were born in disparate locations as with Dean Martin of Steubenville, Ohio, and Frank Sinatra of Hoboken, New Jersey; but they all brought with them passion born of Italy—love of cinema, music, art, and fashion—as Galella triumphantly proclaims with Viva l’Italia!
Galella’s tour begins in Rome’s famed Cinecittà where Federico Fellini relaxes between takes on a film set. It was Fellini who proclaimed, “paparazzi are bandits of images,” coining the word with his character Señor Paparazzo in La Dolce Vita. As he continues on, Galella presents us with rare portraits of Italy’s most famous sons and daughters, including Virni Lisi, Isabella Rossellini, Silvana Mangano, Marlon Brando, Monica Bellucci, Carla Bruni, and Sophia Loren. Never one to shy away from bad boys, he even includes the “Dapper Don” John Gotti, emerging from federal court in Manhattan.
The appeal and power of Galella’s beautiful photography is complimented by extemporaneous quotes he has amassed over a half-century of travel and celebrity encounters. “You look Italian,” quipped Anna Magnani as Ron captured her in Rome, during the filming of The Secret of Santa Vittoria, with Virna Lisi and Anthony Quinn.
Some crossed the ocean, some changed their names, some were born in disparate locations as with Dean Martin of Steubenville, Ohio, and Frank Sinatra of Hoboken, New Jersey; but they all brought with them passion born of Italy—love of cinema, music, art, and fashion—as Galella triumphantly proclaims with Viva l’Italia!
No Pictures

© 2008 PowerHouse Books
Ron Galella didn’t invent the word paparazzo—Italian for a buzzing mosquito—but he certainly personalized it by redefining the relationship between the movie star and the photographer. Now in the business of catching public figures in private moments for more than three decades, the nation’s most famous celebrity photojournalist presents the next chapter in his ongoing visual diary of fame, wealth, and success in America.
In No Pictures, Galella’s second powerHouse monograph and the follow-up to the 2006 smash hit Disco Years, confrontation takes the forefront. Just as famous today as Galella’s images of a windblown, jeans-wearing Jacqueline Onassis is the legal battle that ensued; in a trial that lasted 26 days and made the cover of Life Magazine, Onassis sued Galella and secured a restraining order against him. He has run afoul of Sean Penn, Richard Burton, Marlon Brando, Sam Shepard, and countless other stars, not to mention Studio 54 owner Steve Rubell—who eventually banned him from the club—and legions of angry bodyguards. No Pictures chronicles these conflicts and Galella’s relentless persistence in the face of it all, even when things got violent (as with Brando, who once landed a punch that broke the photographer’s jaw and five of his teeth). Driven by a mad curiosity and a dogged insistence that the lives of celebrities are fair game for one and all, he has continued to take risks and make enemies in service of getting the perfect shot. The stars may shout “No pictures!” but Galella refuses to take no for an answer.
In No Pictures, Galella’s second powerHouse monograph and the follow-up to the 2006 smash hit Disco Years, confrontation takes the forefront. Just as famous today as Galella’s images of a windblown, jeans-wearing Jacqueline Onassis is the legal battle that ensued; in a trial that lasted 26 days and made the cover of Life Magazine, Onassis sued Galella and secured a restraining order against him. He has run afoul of Sean Penn, Richard Burton, Marlon Brando, Sam Shepard, and countless other stars, not to mention Studio 54 owner Steve Rubell—who eventually banned him from the club—and legions of angry bodyguards. No Pictures chronicles these conflicts and Galella’s relentless persistence in the face of it all, even when things got violent (as with Brando, who once landed a punch that broke the photographer’s jaw and five of his teeth). Driven by a mad curiosity and a dogged insistence that the lives of celebrities are fair game for one and all, he has continued to take risks and make enemies in service of getting the perfect shot. The stars may shout “No pictures!” but Galella refuses to take no for an answer.
Warhol by Galella: That's Great!

© 2008 Verlhac Editions
Paparazzo—Italian for pesky—is synonymous with Ron Galella, the photographer who made his name capturing celebrities in unguarded, often private moments. Famously banned from approaching Jackie Onassis and punched by Marlon Brando, Galella was a favorite of Andy Warhol, who shared his fascination with the great and near-great. Warhol himself recorded his nightly rounds through a seemingly endless parade of parties, openings, and happenings in his diaries. In these photographs Galella presents the definitive visual diary of Warhol's life and times, his entourage, and his haunts. Through his Interview column, “Glenn O'Brien's Beat,” O'Brien was a key commentator on the period. His text places Galella in Warhol's world and in the history of modern photography, describing his ground-breaking work, which Warhol was the first to recognize as “the great unauthorized portrait of our time”.
Disco Years

© 2006 PowerHouse Books
The definitive visual diary of the New York club scene in the seventies, Disco Years presents an astounding collection of photographs from America’s premier nightlife photographer, Ron Galella. His candid shots of the era’s fabulous fashionistas, indulgent rock idols, outlandish artists, mystical muses, jet-setting socialites, and fantastic freaks reveal the delicious decadence that defined the decade.
Disco Years brings us the high life, literally and figuratively. Featuring unforgettable photographs of Andy Warhol, Elizabeth Taylor, Halston, Steve Rubell, Ian Schrager, Liza Minnelli, Grace Jones, Madonna, Diane von Furstenberg, Mick and Bianca Jagger, Keith Richards, Truman Capote, Gloria Vanderbilt, Dolly Parton, Brooke Shields, Cher, Raquel Welch, David Bowie, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Jackson, and John Belushi, among countless others, Disco Years takes us back to a time when skiing was an indoor activity, velvet ropes were high security, and incredible style was the only requirement.
Disco Years brings us the high life, literally and figuratively. Featuring unforgettable photographs of Andy Warhol, Elizabeth Taylor, Halston, Steve Rubell, Ian Schrager, Liza Minnelli, Grace Jones, Madonna, Diane von Furstenberg, Mick and Bianca Jagger, Keith Richards, Truman Capote, Gloria Vanderbilt, Dolly Parton, Brooke Shields, Cher, Raquel Welch, David Bowie, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Jackson, and John Belushi, among countless others, Disco Years takes us back to a time when skiing was an indoor activity, velvet ropes were high security, and incredible style was the only requirement.
Ron Galella: Exclusive Diary

© 2004 Photology
Ron Galella defines paparazzi. Presented here are approximately 150 images from the American photographer’s extensive archive of famous people caught unawares, posing for the camera, hiding from the camera, loving the attention (as evidenced by open smiles), or hating it (as evidenced by outstretched palms or raised middle fingers). Galella has always tried to capture the moments when these stars come down from their gilded pedestals to become persons. This collection of images is accompanied by often-hilarious diary entries from Galella—how he got the images, where they were taken, what the public’s reaction was to seeing their favorite stars in person. A lot of material is covered here—cities like New York, Hollywood, Las Vegas, and stars like Andy Warhol, Barbara Streisand, Jackie Onassis, Cher, Sammy Davis, Jr., John Travolta, Frank Sinatra, Warren Beatty, and numerous others. Galella’s Nikon has captured them all.























