Magnum photographers have, over more than seven decades, captured pivotal moments in popular culture as much as historic events and societal sea changes. Working behind the scenes on sets of many classic films, they have captured not only iconic stars at various stages of their careers, but also documented the changing nature of cinema and film production. Sets, equipment, and special effects that once seemed futuristic are, with the passing of time rendered disarmingly romantic.



Here we look back onNicolas Tikhomiroff‘s work on the set of Orson Welles’ adaptation of Franz Kafka’s novel The Trial.

You can see other stories in the Magnum On Set series, here.

Having started his career working in the darkroom of a fashion photographer, Nicolas Tikhomiroff – born in Paris to Russian emigre parents – carried out editorial assingments in conflict zones in Algeria and South East Asia, but was ultimately to become perhaps best-known for his photographic work on cinema. As TIME wrote in the photographer’s obituary, “His images bridged the cultural distance between the razzle-dazzle of 1960s film and the growing turbulence of social change.” Among his myriad portraits of the glamorous stars of (and the minds behind) many of cinema’s golden age greats are his photos of Orson Welles, with whom the photographer became close. Some of his best-known portraits of Welles were made on the set of The Trial.