The Famous Photographs of Diane Arbus

"A photograph," Diane Arbus once said, "is a secret about a secret. The more it tells you, the less you know." Arbus made it her life’s work to uncover the hidden secrets in everyday people… and show them the obvious truth in those “less than everyday” people. She was famous for photographing the people living on the fringes of society. Those that were different, those that were rejected… those that were freaks. Both beautiful and disturbing, almost all of her photographs inspire something dark and true in the viewer. But there are several that stand apart as having captured something incredibly special.

Child with Toy Hand Grenade in Central Park. There is something extraordinarily affecting about this Diane Arbus photo, taken in 1962. In fact, it can be quite difficult to look at. In it, a scrawny little boy is playing in New York’s Central Park in a pair of short overalls. He is caught mid-play, his long, skinny limbs tense and electric. In one hand he is holding a toy hand grenade. The other is formed into a sort of claw, and on his face is an intense, wild-eyed expression-- almost a crazed sort of rage.

The Young Transvestite. This honest photograph was taken by Diane Arbus in 1966, and depicts a young male transvestite. The young man is wearing curlers in his hair and make-up on his face, halfway through his transformation from male to female. The photo is taken close-up, and the severe lighting shows every detail of his face, from his imperfect skin to his clear eyes. The young man looks directly into Diane Arbus’ camera, honest and unapologetic.

Identical Twins. Something about this 1967 Diane Arbus photograph fills the viewer with a vague sense of disturbance. It seems to be a photograph of the experience of living-- both the good and the bad. In it, two pale little girls wearing black stand looking directly at Diane Arbus’ camera. One is smiling slightly, the other frowning. Otherwise they are identical. There is a sense of intensity about the twins, and a touch of indefinable tragedy.

This photo would go on to become the cover of a book about Diane Arbus published in 1972 (called “Diane Arbus”) which would later become one of the best-selling books about photography in history.

Jewish Giant at Home with His Parents in the Bronx. Diane Arbus worked with the Carmel family for ten years to capture the perfect photograph of them and their giant of a son, Eddie. And she finally caught it in 1970. In this photograph (which may be Diane Arbus’ most famous) Eddie is towering over his confused-seeming, be-spectacled parents… the overwhelming feeling of the photograph is one of gentle threat.

During her short life, Diane Arbus amassed an amazing portfolio of work. To learn more about Diane Arbus and how she turned into the artist she became, visit the Smithsonian Magazine website at: http://www.smithsonianmag.com

Black Holes, Diane Arbus, Daredevil, Cleopatra