ABBOTT, BERENICE (1898-1991) [Lead Belly (Huddie William Ledbetter), 1944] . Vintage gelatin silver print, 13 1/2 x 10 5/8 (340 x 270 mm), with Berenice Abbott's Commerce Street stamp on verso. This image comes from the archives of the WGN Concert Bureau. Austin Wilder and James Gilvarry, partners in WGN, commissioned Berenice Abbott to make publicity photographs of the great bluesman in 1944. According to anecdote, Austin Wilder accompanied Lead Belly to Abbott's studio for the photo session. Initially, all was not going well; Lead Belly was not able to relax and he looked very stiff in the resulting images. After a certain point Wilder decided on a change in approach. He went out and returned with a bottle of bourbon for the musician. Soon thereafter, the mood of the session changed and the result is seen in this suite of Bernice Abbott portraits of Lead Belly. C The Archives of the WGN Concert Bureau
ABBOTT, BERENICE (1898-1991) [Lead Belly (Huddie William Ledbetter), 1944] . Vintage gelatin silver print, 13 1/2 x 10 5/8 (340 x 270 mm), with Berenice Abbott's Commerce Street stamp on verso. This image comes from the archives of the WGN Concert Bureau. Austin Wilder and James Gilvarry, partners in WGN, commissioned Berenice Abbott to make publicity photographs of the great bluesman in 1944. According to anecdote, Austin Wilder accompanied Lead Belly to Abbott's studio for the photo session. Initially, all was not going well; Lead Belly was not able to relax and he looked very stiff in the resulting images. After a certain point Wilder decided on a change in approach. He went out and returned with a bottle of bourbon for the musician. Soon thereafter, the mood of the session changed and the result is seen in this suite of Bernice Abbott portraits of Lead Belly. C The Archives of the WGN Concert Bureau
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.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
