Enid Boulting: One of London’s Biggest Modeling Stars in the 1950s

Born 1928 in South Africa as Enid Groenewald, Enid Grünewald initially followed in the footsteps of her older sister, Berdine Grünewald and acted in two plays for the Johannesburg Repertory Society: Our Town (1945, directed by Taubie Kushlick) and Call it a Day (1946, directed by Joyce Marcuson). Not long afterwards she married Cornelius Francis (Frank) Munnik and gave birth to a daughter.

Enid Boulting as a model in the 1950s

However, in 1949, Enid Munnick (Munnik) arrived in England and two years later she married film producer and director Roy Boulting. First as Enid Munnick and then as Enid Boulting, she became a sought-after fashion model, photographed by the likes of John French, Norman Parkinson and Henry Clarke, and was later a fashion editor at the French magazine Elle. She and Boulting had three sons together but were divorced in 1968.

In 1970, Enid married Philip Grantham Yorke, the 9th Earl of Hardwicke, in the chambers of the British Consulate General in Paris. He died in Cape Town in 1974. In the mid-fifties, her South African-born daughter had joined her in England, adopted her then step-father’s surname, and became the actress Ingrid Boulting.

Take a look at these glamorous photos to see portraits of a young Enid Boulting as a model in the 1950s.

Enid Boulting, photo by Norman Parkinson, 1950

Enid Boulting in a Helena Geffers suit, photo by Norman Parkinson, 1950

Enid Boulting in hat by Paulette, photo by Clifford Coffin, London, August 1954

Enid Boulting in suit by Hardy Amies, Vogue, 1954

Enid Boulting in evening dress by Grès, photo by Henry Clarke, 1955

Enid Boulting in suit by Givenchy, photo by Lionel Kazan, Paris, Nouveau Femina, March 1955

Enid Boulting, photo by Lionel Kazan, circa 1955

Enid Boulting, photo by Lionel Kazan, Elle, February 1955

Enid Boulting, photo by Lionel Kazan, Elle, July 1955

Enid Boulting in Moygashel linen dress by Susan Small, photo by Eugene Vernier, Harper's Bazaar UK, March 1956

Enid Boulting in velvet dress by Jacques Fath, photo by Lionel Kazan, Nouveau Femina, 1956

Enid Boulting wearing a Holyrood sweater, photo by Norman Parkinson, Vogue UK, 1956

Enid Boulting in a deep black mink stole, widely stranded topped with a white Jasmine EMBA mink collar from the National Fur Company, photo by Tom Kublin, Harper's Bazaar UK, December 1957

Enid Boulting in beautiful charcoal velvet gown printed with curling feathers, low back fullness flows into a small train by Jean Allen, photo by Tom Kublin, Harper's Bazaar UK, August 1957

Enid Boulting in négligée of Courtauld's moss velvet and nightdress of nylon chiffon designed by Norman Hartnell, Harper's Bazaar UK, December 1957

Enid Boulting in nubby black, tan and white tweed suit, widely belted by Deréta, Herbert Johnson hat, bag from Woollands, photo by Richard Dormer, Harper's Bazaar UK, August 1957

Enid Boulting in olive green satin gown with cuffed top and deep back folds that fall from a rose by Frank Usher, jewelry at Susan, Bond St., photo by Tom Kublin, Harper's Bazaar UK, August 1957

Enid Boulting in white satin gown with bell skirt by Susan Small, photo by Tom Kublin, Harper's Bazaar UK, August 1957

Enid Boulting in a gown of two sculptural petals that form an arum lily of white faille by Balenciaga, photo by Tom Kublin, Harper's Bazaar UK, October 1958

Enid Boulting in beautiful evening sheath of white nylon ribbon embroidered on nylon lace by London Town, photo by Tom Kublin at the Dorchester Hotel restaurant, Harper's Bazaar UK, April 1958

Enid Boulting in dress that's loose in back and controlled in front by Rima, Otto Lucas hat, Bally shoes, photo by Richard Dormer, Harper's Bazaar UK, March 1958

Enid Boulting in halter dress of jet black coin dots on white nylon chiffon from Wallis Shops, photo by Tom Kublin at the Dorchester Hotel restaurant, Harper's Bazaar UK, April 1958

Enid Boulting in lovely day-dress of floral print silk and wide-brimmed straw hat, both by Christian Dior-London, photo by Tom Kublin, Harper's Bazaar UK, May 1958

Enid Boulting in lovely nylon chiffon dress printed with roses, full-skirted with two drifting panels by Elizabeth Henry, photo by Tom Kublin at the Dorchester Hotel restaurant, Harper's Bazaar UK, April 1958

Enid Boulting in wonderful short evening dress of black silk organza with bouffant skirt and frills of lace and bows by Frederick Starke, Bally shoes, photo by Tom Kublin, Harper's Bazaar UK, May 1958

Enid Boulting in a petunia spotted cotton ottoman, the darted jacket rests softly over th gathers of a squarely folded skirt, by Balenciaga, photo by Tom Kublin, Harper's Bazaar UK, April 1959

Enid Boulting in loosely woven mushroom-and-black tweed suit fringed out over the pockets by Kestel & Davey for Jacqmar, beige two-tiered toque by Simone Mirman, photo by Tom Kublin, Harper's Bazaar UK, February 1959

Enid Boulting in the perfect travel dress in uncrushable creamy new fabric, Londinic, from Dickins & Jones, photo by Richard Dormer, Harper's Bazaar, January 1959

Enid Boulting is wearing a hat of the palest blue velvet drawn into deep convolutions by a ribbon of purple grosgrain by Rudolf, necklace by Adrien Mann, photo by Tom Kublin, Harper's Bazaar UK, October 1959

Enid Boulting wearing necklace and earrings by Jewelcraft, photo by Tom Kublin, Harper's Bazaar UK, February 1959