Diane Arbus
Albino sword swallower at a carnival, Md.

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Artist Diane Arbus (American, 1923–1971)American, 1923–1971

Printer Neil Selkirk (American, born England, 1947)American, born England, 1947

CultureAmerican

Titles

Albino sword swallower at a carnival, Md.

Date1970, printed later

Place depictedMaryland, United States

MediumGelatin silver print

DimensionsImage: 15 1/4 × 14 7/8 in. (38.7 × 37.8 cm)
Sheet: 19 7/8 × 16 in. (50.5 × 40.6 cm)

Credit LineThe Gay Block Collection, gift of Gay Block in honor of Anne Wilkes Tucker on the occasion of her retirement

Object number2015.213

Not on view

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Department

Photography

Object Type

PHOTOGRAPHS

DescriptionThroughout the 1950s and 1960s, Diane Arbus made portraits of people living in and around New York City, developing a recognizably blunt style in which she closely scrutinized her subjects while maintaining a personal distance. Among her best-known photographs are portraits of circus sideshow performers, such as this sword swallower, whom she presented with her arms outstretched in a triumphant pose that reveals her eccentric beauty, despite of her life on the fringes of society.
ProvenanceNeil Selkirk, New York, NY, 1972; Jo C. Tartt Gallery, Washington, D.C., date unknown; Gay Block, Santa Fe, NM, 1987; The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX, 2015.
Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks

verso top right in ink: Doon Arbus

verso top left a stamp: Not to be reproduced in any way without / written permission from Doon Arbus.
verso top right a stamp with additions in ink: A Diane Arbus photograph 34/75 / title ALBINO SWORD SWALLOWER / AT A CARNIVAL, MD 1970 / print by NEIL SELKIRK / Doon Arbus

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

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