In Search of the Monkey Girl
Text by Spalding Gray; photos by Randal Levenson
Step right up and peer behind the canvas of a fading American subculture.
Originally published by the legendary Aperture Foundation, In Search of the Monkey Girl is a striking, deeply moving collaboration that documents the final golden era of the traveling side-show. For a decade throughout the 1970s, photographer Randal Levenson embedded himself within North American carnivals to capture the human stories behind the spectacle. Alongside his iconic imagery, master monologist and actor Spalding Gray provides an appreciative, brilliantly bewildered narrative that transports readers straight to the midways of the 1981 Tennessee State Fair.
This rare, highly collectible trade paperback edition bridges the gap between raw street photography and profound performance art, offering an intimate, dignified look at a community living proudly at the margins of society.
“(R)ead it and you will find that the pictures surround a subversive core of words which constantly threaten to upend photographic realism with theatrical reality.” —James Leverett, American Theatre
Key Features
- Compassionate Portraits: Features stunning black-and-white photography of side-show legends, including Artoria Gibbons (the Tattooed Lady), the Man with Two Faces, and the World’s Smallest Mother.
- Acclaimed Text: Includes a classic, comic, and deeply human text essay by celebrated performance artist Spalding Gray.
- Dignified Lens: Eschews cheap exploitation in favor of affectionate, penetrating portraits that look past the “freak show” label to reveal genuine humanity.
- The Midway Experience: Includes atmospheric shots of the exhibit halls, vintage painted banners, and flashing thrill rides.
Product Specifications
- Format: Trade Paperback
- Publisher: Aperture (A New Images Book Series)
- Publication Date: 1987
- ISBN-10: 0893810967
- ISBN-13: 978-0893810962
- Language: English
- Pages: 112 pages
Perfect for: Collectors of rare photography monographs, students of American cultural history, carny subculture enthusiasts, and fans of Spalding Gray’s storytelling.
Near fine condition. [5.3]
$ 45.00
