ROCHESTER – From her apartment in Mayo Clinic’s Charter House, Pat York sits in front of one of her favorite photographs, a 1960s shot of John Phillip Law on a beach outside of Rome. York was there on a shoot for Vogue magazine when she noticed they had company — a wide-eyed group of women dazzled by the shirtless film star.

“We were going back to the car and I heard all of this running behind him, and I looked and all of these nuns were running down the beach with him,” said York. “So I ran out in front of them with my camera.”

Through her lens, York captured a moment that would last a lifetime.

The portrait of Phillip Law is one of many that have made York a leading celebrity photographer of her era. Her work has spanned decades and has produced enduring images of some of the world’s most illustrious artists, from Andy Warhol to Barbra Streisand to John Travolta.

Then there’s her favorite subject: her husband, Michael York, the British-born actor known for roles in “The Three Musketeers,” “Logan’s Run” and the three “Austin Powers” films. The two moved to Rochester in 2022 to be closer to the Mayo Clinic, which the Yorks credit for saving Michael’s life after amyloidosis was diagnosed a decade prior.

The Yorks have made a point to stay active since relocating to southeast Minnesota, with Pat continuing to write and Michael still lending his voice to various film projects, including a guest cameo on the “Simpsons.”

“Michael thinks I am working too hard all of the time,” Pat said with a laugh. “I just think it’s necessary. It’s my life and that’s how my life has been.”

For Pat, whose photography has been shown in galleries from Hong Kong to Prague, that work now includes her latest exhibition, a collection of 26 of her most notable works now on display through November at the Rochester Art Center.

Many of the photographs included were taken on film sets, like the famous image of Jane Fonda cooking over a stove in a bikini while in her dressing room on the set of “Barbarella” in 1966. Others were taken on assignments, in homes and at parties. Altogether they reflect a lifetime of friendship with some of Hollywood’s biggest stars.

Born in Jamaica to English diplomats, Pat started her career as a writer for the fashion section of Vogue. She later became the travel editor for Glamour, and was sent on assignments around the world, including stops in 1963 to the Soviet Union and Iran.

She had never intended to take up photography. But something clicked early in her career during a visit to Japan, where she toured a Nikon factory with famed photographer David Bailey.

Her first photo assignment was to cover Robert and Ted Kennedy, marking the beginning of a career that would stretch to the ends of the world and introduce her to subjects from Ronald Reagan to Timothy Leary (who introduced her to LSD in what would be a onetime “life-enhancing experience” for her).

The Art Center exhibition showcases what could be described as the “greatest hits” of York’s career of photographing the famous and eccentric. It includes a portrait of Steve Martin, a close friend who Pat describes as “extremely generous and unfailingly punctual”; a shot of Liza Minnelli on the set of “Cabaret,” where she starred alongside York’s husband, Michael; and a rare photo of Warhol smiling for the camera.

“That’s the Andy I knew. You see him like this and like that, but he was a wonderful friend,” said York.

What you won’t find on display at the Rochester exhibit is work from York’s other chapter of her career. After growing tired of only photographing celebrities, she took pictures of her subjects in the nude and cadavers. (To her surprise, just about everyone she asked to photograph in the nude said yes, including her plumber.)

“I think Pat is so successful because she is so unthreatening,” said Michael. “Her equipment is minimal and she operates intentionally quickly and efficiently. She has a way of making her subjects relax and it is interesting that so many have become her valued friends, from the naked plumber to the charming President Reagan.”

The Yorks met in 1967 when Pat was assigned to photograph a hot new actor who had just landed roles in two films opening in New York. The attraction was immediate, and the two married six months later.

“It’s one of the most wonderful things if you really love someone and share your life with them,” said Pat. “It’s fantastic because you don’t really need anything else.”

In their 56 years of marriage, they’ve rarely been apart for long. Their work often intersected as Michael pursued his film career, which would earn him a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Pat kept up with her photography, sometimes finding her latest subjects on the sets of Michael’s films.

“When I was 8, my mother had someone at the house who was doing astrology, and she asked to look at my hand,” said Pat. “And she said, ‘You have the most traveling hand I have ever seen.’ And then she said, ‘Anyone you meet, anyone who comes in your orbit, will do nothing but travel.’ So as soon as I meet Michael, he gets films in India. And we have been traveling together ever since.”

In 2012, those travels began to include Rochester. After Michael became ill, Pat got in contact with Dr. Robert Kyle, a Mayo Clinic physician and international expert in hematology. Kyle encouraged the Yorks to travel to Minnesota, where Michael was eventually diagnosed with amyloidosis, a rare disease characterized by a buildup of abnormal amyloid deposits in the organs. Michael received his first stem-cell plant at Mayo in 2012.

By 2019, Michael’s condition had worsened, and the couple decided it was time to move closer to Mayo. In 2022, they sold their home in Hollywood Hills, and with it much of their art collection, and moved to Rochester, where they reside in a senior living community connected to Mayo’s downtown campus.

They’ve never regretted the decision.

“People are particularly nice here,” said Pat. “And, of course, I am incredibly happy Michael is here. They very well probably saved his life.”

Now that they’re settled in Minnesota, Pat is compiling quotes for a book (her fifth) on laughter and sorting through her papers looking for anything worth archiving, including personal letters from playwright Tennessee Williams. The Yorks also travel along the nearby Mississippi River, visiting its museums and attractions. And while the pace is different from life in Hollywood, Pat says Minnesota has its advantages.

“We feel so lucky to be here. I mean, look at that,” pointing to the lush view from her apartment. “People think I am nuts, but I have never seen more beautiful skies than here. It’s like a work of art.”