Talitha Getty

Dutch actress, socialite, and model Talitha Dina Pol and John Paul Getty Jr. forged a relationship that led to their marriage in 1966. The couple is probably best remembered for beautiful photographs taken in Marrakesh, Morocco in 1970 by Patrick Lichfield. The look seemed stylishly to typify the hippie fashion of the time and became a model over the years for what has been referred to variously as “hippie chic” or “boho-chic”.

In the spring of 1971, Talitha Getty asked her husband for a divorce after years of living separately, but Paul Jr. was adamant that he still loved her and pleaded with her to come to Rome for a reconciliation. Her lawyers advised her that divorce proceedings would be easier if Talitha could show that she had attempted to reconcile with Paul, so on 9 July 1971 she flew to Rome.

Talitha was found dead on July 11 in the Getty apartment on Piazza d’Aracoeli, allegedly of a heroin overdose. Speculation flared up in the Italian press that Paul’s continued heroin usage had caused Talitha to relapse.

all the above photos taken in Morocco, by Patrick Lichfield in 1970