Vintage Photos of Jane Birkin

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1946

Jane Birkin was born in London on December 14, 1946. Her father, David Birkin, was a Royal Navy Lieutenant Commander, while her mother, Judy Campbell, was a well-known British actress and singer.

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1964

Birkin initially attempted to break into the London theater circuit as a teenager, but she lived in the shadow of her mother. "My mother was a theater actress of great beauty, and when people said to me, 'Are you Judy Campbell's daughter,' and I said, 'Yes,' they said, 'Oh, well you don't really look like her. You don't have the same…' and so I said, 'The same class?' and they said 'Yes, that's probably it.' So I thought, 'Well, I've got no hope there,'" Birkin relayed during an interview with Interview magazine.

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1964

At 17, her career was developing quickly. In 1964, she received her first role as a deaf and mute girl in the play Carving a Statue.

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1964

Birkin met famous English composer, John Barry, after she landed the starring role in the play, Passion Flower Hotel. They worked together and fell in love during production.

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1965: Getting Married

Birkin was 19 years old when she married composer John Barry in 1965. The stylish actress wore a white crochet mini dress for the small ceremony at the Chelsea Registry Office in London.

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1966

Birkin appeared in her first credited role in the 1966 film Kaleidoscope. She followed the minor role with the film Blow-Up, where she dyed her natural brunette hair for the role of "The Blonde."

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1967

Her film career began picking up by the late '60s. At the age of 20, Birkin was making waves as a promising young actress.

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1967

Birkin and Barry welcomed their daughter, Kate Barry, in 1967. The couple only had one child together and separated not long after her birth. Their divorce was finalized by 1968.

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1968

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1969

After Birkin got divorced, the now-single mother moved to France. She landed a starring role in the film, Slogan, which many consider her big break into widespread fame.

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1969

On the set of Slogan, Birkin met Serge Gainsbourg. It wasn't long before the two fell in love. At the time, Gainsbroug was a talented French musician on the forefront of the French pop movement of the '60s and '70s.

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1969

Birkin's music career launched, almost by accident, when she recorded one of Gainsbourg's song that was intended for Brigitte Bardot. The explicit song "Je T'Aime… Moi Non Plus" became the first record to be banned and the first foreign language single to reach number one in the UK.

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1969

After her musical debut, Birkin's profile rose significantly. However, due to the explicit nature of the track, it was only allowed to be played after 11 p.m. in French restaurants and only sold to adults over the age of 21.

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1969

Birkin arrives with Serge Gainsbourg at the Gala of the Union of Artists in Paris in 1969. She looked chic in a plunging neck white crochet mini dress.

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1969

The actress wears a sleeveless dress with cutouts and embroidered with gold chains. She accessorized with more thin gold chain necklaces, which she would become known for through the years.

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1969

Birkin poses on a rock in a bikini top and boy shorts. As her popularity soared in the late '60s, she became a fashion icon and sex symbol.

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1970

While Birkin never married again, she and Gainsbourg considered each other partners in business and in life. It wasn't long before the couple became iconic for their bohemian lifestyle.

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1970

The actress takes time out of her French vacation to pose in white cotton pants, a cropped white t-shirt, and red ballet flats.

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1970

Birkin poses for a quirky photograph in London in 1970, dressed in a simple back tank top, gold coin necklace, and a British officer's helmet—while eating ice cream, of course.

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1970

Throughout the '70s, Birkin became known for her simplistic and chic style. Here, she poses wearing an all-white outfit featuring jeans and a bomber jacket.

Jennifer Algoo is the Visuals Director at Harper's BAZAAR.  She is a graduate of the School of Visual Arts and has previously worked at Patrick McMullan Co. as well as completing internships at Martha Stewart Weddings, Vogue and CosmoGirl! Magazine.   Jennifer covers royal, celeb and art content as well as overseeing all visual assets on BAZAAR.com.  When she's not obsessing over the royals you can find her attempting to solve cold cases as an armchair detective, traveling and experimenting with new recipes.  

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