Edited by Tony Nourmand, Michael Shulman. Essay by Jack Kerouac.
Unseen images of the Beats, including many—uniquely—in color
This magnificent volume features a remarkable collection of largely unseen photographs of the Beat Generation by renowned Magnum photographer Burt Glinn. This amazing, untouched treasure trove of images was discovered when Reel Art Press was working with Burt Glinn’s widow, Elena, on a larger retrospective of Glinn’s work. Archived with the negatives was a short essay by Jack Kerouac entitled "And This Is The Beat Nightlife of New York," which is published here alongside the photographs. The book features black-and-white shots, and also—uniquely, for images of this era—more than 70 in color. An extremely rare find, these photographs capture the raw energy of the Beat Generation in a way that has never been seen before in print.
The photographs were shot between 1957 and 1960 in New York and San Francisco and feature nearly everyone involved in the scene, including writers and artists such as Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, Gregory Corso, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, LeRoi Jones, Jay DeFeo, Wally Hedrick and many more. Glinn was celebrated for his extraordinary talent as a social documentary photographer, and during his time with the Beats his camera captured the spirit of the counterculture—writers, musicians and artists meeting in cafes, bars and parties pursuing a truth and future the mainstream would and could not acknowledge.
This exquisite tome is an intimate and fresh insight into the lives of the legendary and influential bohemians and a celebration of Glinn’s inimitable talent.
Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Burt Glinn (1935–2008) was an American professional photographer who worked with Magnum Photos. He covered revolutionary leader Fidel Castro’s entrance into Havana, Cuba, and photographed people such as Andy Warhol and Helen Frankenthaler. In collaboration with the writer Laurens van der Post, Glinn published A Portrait of All the Russias (1967) and A Portrait of Japan (1968).
Featured image, of San Francisco painter Jay DeFeo at work on "Deathrose," is reproduced from 'The Beat Scene.'
PRAISE AND REVIEWS
New York Times
John Leland
The Beat Generation in its natural habitat.
Huck
Not only does the work offer a portrait of the Beats in all of their glory, but of a photographer who would soon go on to establish himself as one of the leading names of his generation.
bobdylan.com
Amazing, untouched treasure trove of images...these photographs manage to capture the raw energy of the Beat Generation in a way that has never been seen before in print.
New York Journal of Books
Lew Whittington
Newly discovered photo series by famed 20th century photojournalist Burt Glinn captures the broader cultural scope of the era in The Beat Scene… without doubt one of the best archival photo titles of the year.
Another Man
An unprecedented look inside the Beat scene.
Rolling Stone
Fifties bohemia comes alive in photographs by Burt Glinn — from poetry readings to parties to a brawl starring poet Gregory Corso.
Art in America
Robert Atkins
Documentary photographer Burt Glinn ... captured key figures of the Beat generation. The color and black-and-white images, recently released by Glin's widow, capture the bohemian creatives at parties, cafes, and bars.
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Featured image—of poets Allen Ginsberg and Gregory Corso with Grove Press publisher Barney Rosset in Washington Square Park, c. 1957—is reproduced from The Beat Scene,Reel Art Press' highly anticipated collection of mostly previously-unpublished work by Magnum photographer Burt Glinn. Featuring essays by Sarah Stacke and Michael Shulman and Jack Kerouac's glorious "And This is the Beat Nightlife of New York" (the manuscript for which was discovered in Glinn's archive), this invaluable volume includes sections on both the East and West Coast Beats—documenting the wild parties, the jazz clubs, the cafes, private art studios and public exhibitions—as well as a chapter illuminating the role of Upper Bohemians, who "act as a bridge between creative artists and the general public." continue to blog
They painted, they wrote and performed. They smoked and they argued, dressed and undressed, they danced and drank and talked all night. From New York City's Gaslight Café on Macdougal Street to City Lights Books in San Francisco and all stops in-between, Magnum photographer Burt Glinn captured the Beat Scene in all its wild, unfettered, creative glory during the late 50s and early 60s. Most of these negatives were stored in archival boxes while Glinn focused on his Magnum assignments of the same years, and would have been forgotten entirely if Michael Shulman and Reel Art Press publisher Tony Nourmand hadn't discovered them while researching a Glinn retrospective. Luckily they did, and the result is a national treasure. Pictured here, in Glinn's own words from the West Coast Beats section, shot in 1960, "A French dancer improvising to the music at a party at artist David Stone Martin's studio loft apartment. The band play with both Eastern and Western instruments." continue to blog
Burt Glinn's photographs of the New York Beat Scene will be on view at Jason McCoy Gallery from Wednesday, September 12 through October 12, 2018. Curated by Samantha McCoy in collaboration with the Burt Glinn Estate and Magnum Photos, this exhibition spans 1957-1960. continue to blog
FORMAT: Hbk, 9 x 11 in. / 160 pgs / 80 color / 70 b&w. LIST PRICE: U.S. $39.95 LIST PRICE: CANADA $53.95 ISBN: 9781909526266 PUBLISHER: Reel Art Press AVAILABLE: 7/24/2018 DISTRIBUTION: D.A.P. RETAILER DISC: TRADE PUBLISHING STATUS: Active AVAILABILITY: In stock TERRITORY: NA LA ASIA AFR ME
Published by Reel Art Press. Edited by Tony Nourmand, Michael Shulman. Essay by Jack Kerouac.
Unseen images of the Beats, including many—uniquely—in color
This magnificent volume features a remarkable collection of largely unseen photographs of the Beat Generation by renowned Magnum photographer Burt Glinn. This amazing, untouched treasure trove of images was discovered when Reel Art Press was working with Burt Glinn’s widow, Elena, on a larger retrospective of Glinn’s work. Archived with the negatives was a short essay by Jack Kerouac entitled "And This Is The Beat Nightlife of New York," which is published here alongside the photographs. The book features black-and-white shots, and also—uniquely, for images of this era—more than 70 in color. An extremely rare find, these photographs capture the raw energy of the Beat Generation in a way that has never been seen before in print.
The photographs were shot between 1957 and 1960 in New York and San Francisco and feature nearly everyone involved in the scene, including writers and artists such as Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, Gregory Corso, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, LeRoi Jones, Jay DeFeo, Wally Hedrick and many more. Glinn was celebrated for his extraordinary talent as a social documentary photographer, and during his time with the Beats his camera captured the spirit of the counterculture—writers, musicians and artists meeting in cafes, bars and parties pursuing a truth and future the mainstream would and could not acknowledge.
This exquisite tome is an intimate and fresh insight into the lives of the legendary and influential bohemians and a celebration of Glinn’s inimitable talent.
Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Burt Glinn (1935–2008) was an American professional photographer who worked with Magnum Photos. He covered revolutionary leader Fidel Castro’s entrance into Havana, Cuba, and photographed people such as Andy Warhol and Helen Frankenthaler. In collaboration with the writer Laurens van der Post, Glinn published A Portrait of All the Russias (1967) and A Portrait of Japan (1968).
