26 May: Athena’s ‘Man and Baby’ Photoshoot
The most iconic image of the 80s? Arguably. One of the biggest-selling posters of all time? Unquestionably. Yet ‘L’Enfant’ – captured on 26th May 1986 by photographer Spencer Rowell – was just a workaday, rapid-turnaround project for high street store Athena.
The photo, which went on to adorn over five million walls, is often credited with inventing the ‘New Man’ – but the people in the photograph were hardly financially rewarded for their subsequent stardom.
In this episode, Olly, Arion and Rebecca reveal what ‘the baby’ is up to these days; consider the extent to which the image’s cheesy reputation is tied up with British awkwardness around male sexuality; and examine just how many women model Adam Perry claims to have bedded since…
Further Reading:
• The original poster, uploaded by Eighties Kids: https://www.eightieskids.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/1-1.jpg
• The Independent reports on the ‘excess, addiction and tragedy’ of ‘L’Enfant’:
• Spencer Rowell talks to Uncertain States in 2010: