Missing photographer Peter Beard, who partied with Jackie O, discovered Iman and wed Cheryl Tiegs, is found dead
FAMED wildlife photographer Peter Beard has died at the age of 82.
The body of the legendary lensman and Lothario was found in the woods a few miles from his Montauk home, 19 days after he was reported missing by his family.
Beard had been battling dementia at the time of his death and was last seen on March 31 leaving his house in Montauk for a walk.
“We are all heartbroken by the confirmation of our beloved Peter’s death,” said his family in a statement.
“He died where he lived: in nature.”
Peter is survived by his wife Nejma, daughter Zara, a granddaughter and two brothers, Anson Jr. and Samuel.
He was born a railroad scion thanks to his great-grandfather, James J. Hill, who founded the Great Northern Railway.
His own father was an accomplished lawyer, and Beard attended all the best schools, starting at Buckley and then going off to Pomfret before attending college at Yale.
He launched to fame in 1965 with his stunning collection of safari photographs, The End of the Game.
Beard would often draw colorful images around his photos, or cover them in blood - both his own and that of animals.
He kept homes in New York City, Montauk and Kenya, which is where he discovered Iman.
The model was just one of the many beautiful women in Beard's orbit.
Beard was one of the few confidantes of , dated her sister Lee Radziwill and romanced a young Candice Bergen.
He married socialite Mary "Minnie" Cushing in 1967, supermodel Cheryl Tiegs, and then Nejma Khanum, who he had been with for 34 years at the time of his death.
The two came close to splitting back in the 1990s when Beard's modelizing became too much for the daughter of an Afghan diplomat, but Beard's near-fatal encounter with an elephant prompted a reconciliation.
Beard still enjoyed the company of many a model in his final decades, and became as well known for shooting the beauties for the pages of and .
His work became the subject of countless exhibitions over the years, though a great deal of it along with works by other masters was lost when his Montauk home caught fire in the 1970s.
"Peter was an extraordinary man, who led an exceptional life. He lived life to the fullest," said his family.
"He squeezed every drop out of every day. He was relentless in his passion for nature, [and he was ] unvarnished and unsentimental, but utterly authentic always.
"He was an intrepid explorer, unfailingly generous, charismatic and discerning. Peter defined what it means to be open; open to new ideas, new encounters, new people, new ways of living and being.
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"Always insatiably curious, he pursued his passions without restraints and perceived reality through a unique lens. Anyone, who spent time in his company, was swept up by his enthusiasm and his energy.
"He was a pioneering contemporary artist, who was decades ahead of his time in his efforts to sound the alarm about environmental damage.
"His visual acuity and elemental understanding of the natural environment was fostered by his long stays in the bush and the ‘wild-deer-ness’ he loved and defended."
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