Belle da Costa Greene Portrait Magnet
$5.50
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Pickup available at Morgan Library & Museum
Usually ready in 2-4 days
Despite the small amount of evidence in either Greene's writings or published works about her portraits, from her strategic choices it is clear she sought to control how she was portrayed, and that the camera's lens held meaning for Greene that we can only imagine today.
This particular portrait was taken in 1910 at Ernest Walter Histed's Fifth Avenue photography studio in New York City. Upon entering, wearing a large and elaborately designed hat, Greene announced her image as one of empowerment. Confronted with Greene's unexpected style, Histed grumbled about her elaborate clothing, which did not fit the stereotype of a librarian.