In 1966, Penelope Tree became the face of a generation. She was 17 and had been spotted at Truman Capote’s infamous Black and White Ball in New York by photographers Cecil Beaton and Richard Avedon. With her round, wide eyes, deep fringe, and her stylised face, Tree had a distinctive look.
During the latter half of the swinging 60s, she was the IT girl. In demand and everywhere. “During the 60s, the excitement in the air was palpable.
It was the first time that artists, filmmakers, musicians, aristocracy, the business world, and counter culture mixed, and there was a heady freedom in the air. It felt like anything could happen,” said Tree. As a model who graced the covers of Vogue, Tree rubbed shoulders with anyone who was anyone at that time.
Famously, John Lennon, when asked to describe Tree in three words called her, “hot, hot, hot, smart, smart, smart!” Tree was the daughter of British MP Ronald Tree and American socialite and political reporter Marietta Peabody. But in this impossibly privileged life, she felt as if she didn’t have much to offer. “My family was so accomplished,” she said.
“My mother was a reporter and represented the US on the UN Commission of Human Rights, my father was an MP, and my sister was awarded the Pulitzer Prize. I felt like I didn’t stand out in any way, but I wanted to be something and do something.” In front of Avedon’s camera, Tree felt she found her purpose.
“I looked into the lens and it was just this extraordina.
