MCQUEEN B.
Photographs from the book will be available to buy as limited edition prints at an exhibition that will be held at the Movie Poster Art Gallery in London from June 15th 2007
Steve McQueen: The Last Mile is a personal collection of photographs taken by Steves widow and former model Barbara McQueen and co-authored by her and Marshall Terrill. Barbara McQueen has remained silent about her relationship with husband Steve McQueen for more than 25 years. Now she is ready to talk about their life together and her photographs offer an extremely personal insight into the final years of Steve McQueen.
This revealing book will be published in June 2007 by Dalton Watson Fine Books. It chronicles Barbaras early history and successful modeling career, her years with Steve at Trancas Beach where they faced the outrageous antics of unlikely neighbor The Whos Keith Moon and Steves flying lessons at Santa Paula where the couple set up home in an airplane hanger. Also on offer are behind-the-scene photos on the set of films Tom Horn and The Hunter. The book ends with a poignant look into Steves final days when he converted to Christianity before dying tragically of terminal cancer.
The Oregon farm girl turned world-class model, then known as Barbara Minty, was almost half McQueens age when they met. She soon discovered that the screen legend was no ordinary film star: he rode motorcycles, flew antique planes, drank Old Milwaukee beer, collected toys, wore grungy clothes and flouted traditions. McQueen had tired of the film industry by the end of his career and wanted to scale back his visibility. He grew a beard, let his trademark blonde hair grow long and dressed like a long distance trucker. This was Steve laying aside all his Hollywood stuff to become a real person, said Barbara McQueen.
The couple spent their time before his death in 1980 travelling around America in his vintage pickup trucks, making friends with ordinary people and enjoying life away from Hollywood. The publicity-shy McQueen granted Barbara full access to his private world which she captured in her candid photographs.
Steve McQueen: The Last Mile is written in passage form, weaving Barbara McQueens personal history, her relationship with her famous husband and the stories behind the hundreds of stunning pictures printed in this book. It will also include a special foreword by Pat Johnson, McQueens close friend and karate instructor. Co-author Marshall Terrill has written twelve books including the best-selling biography Steve McQueen: Portrait of an American Rebel
