Diane Arbus 1926-1971

bidding is closed

Description

Diane Arbus
'waitress, nudist camp, new jersey'

signed, titled, dated, and with a note to Joseph Mitchell by the photographer in ink on the reverse, 1963, printed no later than 1967; accompanied by the original mailing envelope, postmarked 18 March 1967, addressed to Mitchell by Arbus in ink (2)

Provenance

The photographer to Joseph Mitchell, 1967

Literature

Diane Arbus: Revelations, p. 72

Catalogue Note

Arbus's note reads, 'Dear J.M., I have spoken to you on the phone occasionally in the last years and sent you notes and read your books. And I would most particularly like you to see my photographs at The Museum of Modern Art in a show called New Documents. Would you?'

Arbus exhibited 30 photographs in MoMA's groundbreaking New Documents exhibition, curated by John Szarkowski, which also showcased the work of Garry Winogrand and Lee Friedlander. It was the only major museum exhibition of Arbus's work during her lifetime. In order to encourage specific people to visit the exhibition, Arbus mailed out small prints of her photographs, such as the one offered here, with a personal invitation on the reverse.