Explore Vogue's history in our new Condé Nast digital archive

For the first time, Condé Nast opens the doors to the Vogue archive. In collaboration with Google Arts & Culture, the worlds of fashion, design, history and culture come to life with over 15,000 newly-digitized color images spanning more than three decades and six hundred issues. Today, these images are live online for the first time for everyone to explore, along with an immersive exhibition to help you experience the archive for yourself at goo.gle/voguearchive.

To help tell the story, the Vogue and Condé Nast Archive teams have created over 30 stories that not only take you through the history of the magazine, but also introduce you to some of Vogue’s most important photographers, illustrators and models – such as Helen Dryden, Arthur Elgort, Beverly Johnson, Patti Hansen and Horst P. Horst. The project also highlights some of the pivotal moments in fashion during the twentieth century – including how the rise of the working woman changed fashion history.

In my role as Condé Nast’s Corporate Photography Director (and former Photography Director of Vogue), I’ve worked with the archive’s Visual Editor, Isaac Lobel, to select some of their favorite photographs and stories. Vogue’s Archive Editor, Laird Borelli-Persson, does a deep dive on the magazine’s early illustrators, as well as highlighting some of her favorite fashion moments, including the New Look and the Miniskirt.

To help get you started, here are some of our favorite stories.

Iconic photographers

• Gordon Parks, one of the most prolific and influential photographers of the twentieth century, maintained a close relationship with Condé Nast’s Editorial Director, Alexander Liberman over many decades. Learn about Parks’ work for Vogue during the 1960s.
• Frances McLaughlin-Gill was one of Vogue’s first female photographers. Isaac Lobel introduces you to “Frannie,” who was mentored by Toni Frissell, another early female photographer for the magazine, and invites you to dive into the world of mid-century fashion through the lens of one of Vogue's most important contributors.
• Cecil Beaton was one of Condé Nast longest and most prolific contributors, working for Vogue across five decades. Although he started his career in black and white, he was a natural with color as he was not only a photographer, but also a painter, costume designer and interior decorator. Experience the colorful world of Cecil Beaton.

On the cover and between the pages

• Vogue’s Great Illustrators. Before there were great photographers working for Vogue, the pages were filled with the brilliant drawings of some of the great illustrators of the day. Laird Borrelli-Persson showcases some of their best work and introduces us to some of the most creative talents during the early years of the magazine.
• Swans Of Vogue. The recent series FEUD: Capote Vs. The Swans brought to life writer Truman Capote’s relationship with stars of the New York scene. Some of Ivan’s favorite Vogue images are of women from the series, like Babe Paley and Carolina Herrera, as well as a few other iconic women of the printed page that you might be less familiar with. Discover all of these great ladies.
• Dance and Fashion. Whether it’s ballet, swing or the tango, dance and fashion have always had an innate connection. Laird Borrelli-Persson takes us on to the stage and behind the scenes, charting the historical connection between dance costumes and fashion with designers like Coco Chanel and Paul Poiret.

For anyone interested in fashion photography, design and magazine publishing, the Condé Nast Archive on Google Arts & Culture will be the essential destination to learn about the people and moments that made fashion history and helped shape our world. It’s a place to hear the stories behind the imagemakers, designers, models, writers and personalities that helped drive culture for over 100 years. Discover more at goo.gle/voguearchive.