THE MAGICAL PHOTOGRAPHY OF DIANE ARBUS

The Simplicity of Thought...

A lonely shoe, simple, not particularly attractive, no one feature that demands attention. Yet it does demand just that. The gleam on the leather, the turn of the graceful ankle, the curve of the new heel, photographed with a simplicity of thought.

simply defined chic

forward focus... the blurred background

focus forward...

charm...

movement...

grace...

pictures that tell a story...

I didn't know this photograph was by Diane and Allan Arbus when I first glanced at it. It immediately caught my attention and drew me in. It was a  happy picture that stood out immediately when  flipping through the issue... and then it all fit




MID YEAR FASHIONS
For The Girl  In And Out of College
Vogue December 1950
Photography: Diane and Allan Arbus

arbus admin girl@devodotcom

FROM THE ARCHIVE

devodotcom posts on Diane Arbus

3/21/12 Have A Great Day!

1/25/12 The Vertical Journey

12/31/11 Happy New Year

11/24/11 The Young Heiresses

8/14/11 Bill Blass Designs For Little Ones

7/12/11 The Full Circle:Prince Robert de Rohan Courtenay

5/17/11 As You Desire Me

4/25/11 The Full Circle: Max Maxwell Landar

2/14/11 The Couple

1/30/11 She's As Mae West As Ever: Mae West

10/16/10 The Full Circle: William Mack

9/25/10 Mrs. T. Charlton Henry

9/05/10 Fashion Independents On Marriage

8/20/10 The Real Miss Cora Pratt

8/20/10 Miss Cora Pratt

7/29/10 The Full Circle: Jack Dracula

7/27/10 Thank Heaven For Little Girls

7/26/10 Petal Pink For Little Parties

5/24/10 Tokyo Rose

JEUNE FILLE 1950

MISS MARY DRAGE

Nineteen-year-old English beauty dances with the Sadler's Wells Ballet. She is wearing a full-length ball gown typical of young women of means in the fifties. This one in grey clouds of rayon net with lushly trimmed grey rayon taffeta by Rappi. It sold for sixty dollars.

This is the new era of man-made fibers. Rayon, originally known as "artificial silk," was the first of the manufactured fibers to be introduced. 

Photographed by Norman Parkinson at the Metropolitan Museum by Norman Parkinson under Sargent's "The Wyndham Sisters

MISS NATASHA BOISSEVAIN

Eighteen-year-old beauty in this year's Debutante Cotillion. She wears white nylon tulle by Ceil Chapman. The long white gloves, by Debutante Cotillion sponsor,Kayser. 

Clouds of yellow rayon net; a butterfly  bow at the back; bare shoulders. A ball dress every bit the ball dress that a long one is. This year the length is short, like this. By Emily Wilkins

Clouds of white - a ball dress in The Tradition; a dress to make a beauty - or the reputation of a beauty. White nylon net sprinkled with bugle beads; by Rappi.

Above the clouds, bare shoulders. Left, white rayon net, petalled bodice of gleaming silvery lace trailing into the skirt. Centre, a silky cloud in pale tints of yellow, rose, and blue. Silk organdie over cotton sateen by Emily Wilkins. Right, grey nylon marquisette filigreed with silver by Rosette Pennington

It will dance at the prettiest parties this Christmas - the short balldress in a cloudburst of pleats in white rayon net. The bodice, pale blue rayon taffeta sewn with glitter. By J.L.F.

The Young, In The Clouds

Vogue December 1950

Photography: Horst

The setting for the most beautiful party London has seen in years: General Sir John and Lady Marriott's ball; here, the ballroom, built from the courtyards of three adjoining houses.

By Oliver Messel, England's great theatrical designer.

Vogue December 1950

Photography: Mandinian