There seems to be a lot of controversy surrounding a 1938 or 1939 French edition of Vogue magazine that features Frida Kahlo on the cover. I have been researching the life and works of Frida Kahlo since 2003 and during my research I have read numerous accounts in books, magazines and internet articles about this elusive magazine cover. Some say it was just an image of her hands adorned with several rings while other say it was a full image of her based on a photograph taken by Nickolas Muray. I have spent hours searching for the magazine cover and have not found it anywhere. Of all the accounts I’ve read no one has been able to produce an image of the magazine cover…and many also admit they too have searched endlessly for it and never found it.
In August of 2011, my website colleague, Isa, emailed me the cover image below. She found it someone on the internet. I did some research and found that two people had posted the cover image. I emailed both of them to ask what they knew about this magazine cover and where they found it…..unfortunately neither replied. So….I emailed Vogue Paris with the same inquiry….they didn’t respond either. If anyone knows anything about the cover below, please email me. Thanks, Mike, Site Webmaster, Sacramento, CA, USA.
The cover pictured below was produced in conjunction with the 2003 Miramax film “Frida”. The subject in this mockup cover is NOT Frida Kahlo….it is Salma Hayek who protrays Frida in the film.
In my research I did find that photos of Frida appeared in the October 1, 1937 edition of the U.S. version of Vogue.
The September 1931 edition of Vanity Fair magazine featured a photo of Frida and Diego and an article about Diego’s work as a muralist.
Kahlo/Rivera Photograph by Peter A. Juley
The December 1990 edition of the American Airline magazine, American Way, featured a photograph of Frida Kahlo on its cover and a 14 page article titled “The Cult of Kahlo” with several photos of Kahlo and her paintings.
