This enchanting photograph captures the quintessential Alpine après-ski experience at the Ice Bar of Hotel Krone in Lech, Austria, on January 1, 1960. The image shows a bartender expertly mixing drinks for elegant guests against the breathtaking backdrop of the Omershorn mountain, epitomizing the sophisticated winter leisure culture that defined Europe's most exclusive ski destinations during the golden age of Alpine tourism.
Hotel Krone, first mentioned in historical records in 1741 as a travellers' rest stop, had evolved by 1960 into one of Austria's most prestigious luxury hotels, run by the Pfefferkorn family for multiple generations. Lech itself represented the pinnacle of Alpine glamour, attracting aristocrats, celebrities, and discerning international travellers to its pristine slopes and refined hospitality. The resort's combination of exceptional skiing, luxurious accommodations, and sophisticated social atmosphere made it a favourite winter retreat for Europe's elite, establishing it as Austria's answer to the world's most glamorous mountain destinations.
Slim Aarons, renowned for his evocative photographs of, as he described it, "attractive people doing attractive things in attractive places," was the quintessential chronicler of high society. After serving as a war photographer, Aarons turned his lens to a new landscape: the glamorous lives of Hollywood elites, Palm Beach socialites, and jet-setting debutantes and princes. His work for society publications captured an aspirational world of leisure and luxury that defined the American upper class throughout the mid-20th century, creating images that remain timeless symbols of sophistication and style.
Every piece in our unique Slim Aarons collection is meticulously handcrafted using archival materials and printed on premium, lustre photographic paper with environmentally safe inks, custom framed by skilled artisans who ensure that each work of art meets the exacting standards befitting such an iconic photograph.
