32 Rare Photos of Jane Birkin Through the Years

1940s: Jane’s Christening

Jane Mallory Birkin was born December 14, 1946 in Marylebone, London, England, to actress Judy Campbell and David Birkin, a Commander of the Royal Navy. Baby Jane is pictured here at her christening with her parents and older brother, Andrew.

1965: With First Husband John Barry

At 17, Birkin made her stage debut in a play by Graham Greene. The following year she starred in Passion Flower Hotel, a musical where she also met her first husband, John Barry. The two had one child together—a daughter named Kate—and divorced in the late 60s.

1966: Blow Up

A year later, Birkin acted in the Michelangelo Antonioni-directed thriller Blow Up. Her role in it proved to be controversial for audiences as she appeared nude on-screen.

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1968: At the Cannes Film Festival with George Harrison

In 1968, Birkin attended the Cannes Film Festival to promote her movie Wonderwall. George Harrison and his wife Pattie Boyd were there, along with Ringo Starr and his wife, Maureen Starkey—Harrison helped fund it the film and composed its score.

1968: With Serge Gainsbourg

Shortly after, a recently-divorced Birkin met Serge Gainsbourg, a French singer, songwriter, and director 18 years her senior, while on the set of Slogan. The two were together for over ten years but never officially got married. In 1969, they came out with a scandalous song, “Je T’aime…Moi Non Plus,” and a debut album titled Jane Birkin/Serge Gainsbourg.

1970: On the Set of Sex Power

Birkin was photographed on the set of Sex Power in 1970, which also starred Alain Noury as a young frenchman who goes to California to get over a lost love.

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1970: Signature Wicker Basket

Birkin could often be seen toting around her trademark wicker basket filled with all her essentials—makeup, keys, magazines, and sometimes even a baguette (or two). Over a decade after this photo was taken, she was seated on a plane flight next to Jean-Louis Dumas, then artistic director and CEO of Hermès. He was so inspired by the actress and her style that he created the Hermès Birkin bag and named it after her.

1971: At Home in Paris

In July of 1971, Birkin and Gainsbourg had their first and only child together, a daughter named Charlotte. The couple is pictured at home in Paris with baby Charlotte and Kate, Birkin’s daughter from her previous marriage.

1972: On the Set of Don Juan

Birkin filmed several movies in the early ‘70s, including French Intrigue in 1970, Romance of a Horsethief in 1971, and Trop jolies pour être honnêtes, a French picture that also starred Serge Gainsbourg, in 1972. One of her most enduring films from this time was Don Juan, a Roger Vadin-directed flick in which Birkin appeared alongside Brigitte Bardot.

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1974: In the Garden

When not filming or performing together, Gainsbourg and Birkin would spend their time vacationing in the south of France with their children.

1975: Filming La course à l'échalote

In 1975, Birkin jetted off to Brighton, England, to film La course à l'échalote—a comedy led by French director Claude Zidi.

1975: Playing Catherine in ‘Catherine & Co.’

That same year, Birkin took on the role of Catherine in Catherine & Co., a film that received less-than-glowing reviews.

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1977: Promoting Je t'aime moi non plus

In 1977, Birkin and Gainsbourg were photographed in London to promote their film Je T’aime…Moi Non-Plus. Birkin starred in the lead role, and Gainsbourg wrote and directed the movie. They took the title from the name of the song they released years earlier.

1978: Death on the Nile

In the late-70s, Birkin acted in a mystery drama adapted from a classic Agatha Christie novel, Death on the Nile. The whodunit also starred Mia Farrow, Bette Davis, and Peter Ustinov as Detective Hercule Poirot. The film received an Oscar that year for Best Costume Design.

1980: A Breakup

Birkin and Gainsbourg ended their relationship in 1980 after roughly 12 years together. Although the two had a tumultuous relationship, Birkin wrote in her 2019 memoir, Post-scriptum, that she never fully got over him.

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1982: Evil Under the Sun Premiere Party

A couple of years later, Birkin was all smiles while attending the premiere party of Evil Under the Sun at the St. Regis Hotel in New York City. Birkin played Christine Redfern in the Guy Hamilton-directed crime drama, which was based on another Agatha Christie detective novel.

1984: With Jacques Doillon at the Cannes Film Festival

After her split from Gainsbourg, she began a relationship with French director Jacques Doillon—with whom she had one daughter named Lou—in 1982. Here, the couple is pictured at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival posing together. The ‘80s were a busy time for the star—she appeared in several films, including Move Along, There is Nothing to See, The Bodyguard, The Pirate, and Dust.

1986: César Awards Ceremony

In 1986, Birkin reunited with Gainsbourg on the red carpet to support their daughter, Charlotte, at the 11th César Awards. The young actress ended up winning the Most Promising Actress trophy for her role in the Claude Miller-directed film L’effrontee.

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1987: Singing in Paris

A year later, Birkin took the stage in Paris to perform some of her music.

1987: With Director Agnès Varda

During the late-80s, Birkin joined forces with the director, screenwriter, and artist Agnès Varda to film the fantasy biographical docudrama film Jane B. for Agnès V.

Brittany is a freelance writer based in her hometown of New York City. She writes about everything from fashion and beauty to food and wellness. When she's not writing, she can often be found at her local library, playing with her cats, or exploring the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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