The legendary Lady Day. Her life was tumultuous, her rise to stardom meteoric and her end, tragic. Here she is, photographed by famed American Photographer Carl Van Vechten in a late night session in Harlem in 1949. Even the story of the shoot is iconic. Arranged by African American journalist and activist Gerri Major, the shoot was a disaster from the start. Holiday arrived in neither the clothes nor the spirits the shoot hoped to capture. Things only worsened as Van Vechten attempted to goad her into other attire. But everything changed when he showed the singer a collection of photos he’d taken of Bessie Smith, the famed African American jazz-age singer known as the Empress of the Blues. Holiday was transfixed by the images, which brought her to tears, leading to a photo session that went on through the night and saw holiday posing artistically in several outfits, as well as nothing at all. One of the most singular voices of her age, Billie Holiday’s fame was curtailed both by her personal struggles and ultimately by the relentless persecution of the U.S. government following her recording and performance of the protest song Strange Fruit. The campaign against her lasted in various forms from 1939 when the song was recorded to 1959 when the singer laid handcuffed by federal agents to the hospital bed in which she would eventually pass away at the age of 44. This archival museum quality print is presented on 100% acid free, 5.57 oz, smooth matte fine art paper. Printed sustainably to order in the UK, it is a perfect choice for making a beautiful statement in any room of your home.
