1970s Photographs. Anyone Special...

Great ID, Af!

 

Not Wes Craven, he had eyebrows like catapillers.


The woman is imitating the pose in the famous photograph by André Kertész, Danseuse burlesque (satyric dancer), Paris, 1926

Bingo on Sir Arnold Wesker,
www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portraitLarge/mw82579/Sir-Arnold-Wesker

I really can't read the words on the map, but I bet they are more than just a neighborhood map (remember when?). Perhaps notes to a movie, or the 'real life' location of a character? Any writing on the back?

 

She looks like a Roedean or Cheltenham girl slumming it a bit with the theatricals. I'd say those are hocky player's legs.

Since she has arranged her limbs in a swastika like fashion, maybe she was a fascist.

 

Wesker -- do wish he had better handwriting! Af -- you're being quite fanciful of late! The girl reminds me of an actress, but danged if my mind will go the whole field...

 

I cant see any hard to read words on the map. It appears to headed Aldgate East, District line (an underground station) but I can't read the third line of the heading. It's the sort of thing you'd give to someone coming to visit, a convenient Tube station to start at, then some streets. The Whitechapel art gallery is still there and it is the general area where Jack the Ripper prowled.

 

Wow! I had never heard of Wesker, but that sure looks like him!

 

My main clue was seeing his name written on the note.

 

WOW!

You all are awesome! Thank you!

After AF's original reply, I was going to just toss these images and write them off as junk. After a bit of research, the inscription verso and hand drawn map appear to be in Wesker's hand. Not sure who Bert(?) & Kathy(?) are, but it appears these items were addressed to them.

Also, I wasn't able to ID the sitter in the other image, but I was able to ID the photographer. After taking the photo out of the frame, it is signed at lower right and signed & dated verso: 'Salmieri' & 'Salmieri 76' for "famed" and noted NYC photographer: 'Stephen Salmieri, Born, 1945'.

Salmieri Bio: "Stephen Salmieri artist, Brooklyn. Salmieri came from a family of artists and was recognized early for his mature and sensitive studies of Coney Island. Working in the tradition of many mid-twentieth century independent photographers such as Robert Frank and Lisette Model, Salmieri spent five years documenting the last of the Coney Island environs now undergoing urban gentrification. Salmieri is equally appreciated for his penetrating portrait studies many of which were first published in the New York Times. Truly a master of black and white printing and large format photography, Salmieri's personal style identifies his work as being unmistakably his own. Although all his work is film based and entirely black and white, many of his images are toned and a selection are hand colored by artist and collaborator Sydnie Michele. His photography has been exhibited in major museum collections in the US and Europe and he is in the permanent collection of MoMA and the Getty Museum. His two popular coffee table books are AMERICAN GRILLES (HBJ) the faces of American cars and CADILLAC: An American Icon (Rizzoli) an idiosyncratic look at American through its automobile culture. Both books were most favorably reviewed and were recipients of major awards including the first American Book Award ever given to a photography book for GRILLES and the AIGA gold medal award for CADILLAC".

Brooklyn Museum Link: http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/artists/6699/Stephen_Salmieri

This photo by Salmieri was est at $2,000 - $3,000 but it failed to sell: http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/21246062_radical-chic-stephen-salmieri-1970-leonard-bernstein

 

After AF's original reply, I was going to just toss these images and write them off as junk.

Teach me to be less fanciful and more useful.

 

Or Teach us to let you have your flight of fancy before settling down to business.

 

Several of us could not fully decipher the writing, so I'm still giving kudos to you!

 

Right, his version of the satyric dancer photo is on his website, too.

 

Thank you!

I was searching everywhere but his site and portfolio to try and ID the sitter.

The sitter is ID'ed as: 'Sydnie Michele, artist, New York, 1974'.

Again, thank you all for taking the time out to help and reply. A special thank you goes out to AF, Lilfont and Wendy for helping ID the sitters and deciphering the inscription. Thank you!

 

"I really can't read the words on the map, but I bet they are more than just a neighborhood map (remember when?). Perhaps notes to a movie, or the 'real life' location of a character? Any writing on the back?"


Here are a few close-up images of the map. There is something written on the opposite side of the paper, but it's adhered to the mat board.

 

Your hunch appears correct Fig, thank you!

 

You're welcome! Although it was just a hunch. Others helped more, but I just like to comment.

 

I am confused- who is the woman in the photograph? This is one fascinating thread!

 

Is the subject in the photograph a man, Sydnie Michele?

http://www.sydniemichelephotographs.com/

 

Great detective work!

 

Indeed, great detective work by all.

I thought after AF's first post that was his kind and poetic way of telling me the items were basically junk. So I placed the photos in the junk bin and moved on to the next item for research never once thinking they were anything more than just that........junk! I log on here today and seen all the work done by these kind folks and was just shocked! Great work guys! Truly amazed how you all were able to come together and make the IDes. Thank you all once again for your time and help.