Josephine Baker: Image and Icon
by Bennetta Jules Rosette, Tyler Stovall, Olivia Lahs-Gonzales
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Book Summary Information
Author: Bennetta Jules Rosette, Olivia Lahs-Gonzales, Tyler StovallEditor: Olivia Lahs-Gonzales
Edition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2006-04-01
ISBN: 1933370025
Number of pages: 160
Publisher: Reedy Press
Book Reviews of Josephine Baker: Image and Icon
Book Review: Josephine Baker: A Life to Remember
Summary: 5 Stars
The life of Josephine Baker is one of the most incredible success stories in American history. Born into a poor but vibrant district of St. Louis, as a child she took her first steps toward becoming an incredible dancer by dancing in the streets for pennies. At age 13, she ran away to join a traveling road show, and at age 16 was the star dancer of a show that toured the country. She moved to Paris to join a musical review called La Revue Négre. So great was her success that, at age 20, she was the toast of Paris, and soon after, the toast of all Europe.
Ernest Hemingway said of her "(she is) ...the most sensational woman anybody ever saw. Or ever will. Tall, coffee skin, ebony eyes, legs of paradise, and a smile to end all smiles." Baker even took lessons in dancing from the great ballet master Balanchine who, as it turned out, learned more from her than she from him!
Josephine Baker, Image and Icon is a tribute to this incredible African-American who had little or no formal education, but earned her place in history through sweat and perseverance and an incredible talent. It is a book made beautiful by the images of Baker herself, as shown by original theatrical posters, photographs, drawings, prints and paintings of Baker made by some of the most celebrated artists of the period. The book is a rich profusion of color and movement, much like the dancing for which Baker was celebrated.
The book had its origin in the mind of the Director of the Sheldon Art Galleries in St. Louis, Olivia Lahs-Gonzales. After two years of searching for art and ephemera that would best show the life and times of Baker, Gonzales mounted an exhibition at the Sheldon Art Galleries by the same name, with exhibits drawn from collections public and private across the United States and Europe.* The book itself was the natural outcome of what was shown at the gallery.
In the book, Josephine Baker and her life and times is further defined by three scholarly and highly readable treatises. Bennetta Jules-Rosette, the author of "Two Loves: Josephine Baker in Art and Life," writes of the inventing of the image of Baker and the preserving of her as an icon. Olivia Lahs-Gonzales offers a commentary on Baker in the context of the modern woman. Tyler Stovall, author of "Paris Noir, African-Americans in the City of Light," describes Paris and the Jazz Age, and the place of Baker in the black Montmartre.
Baker not only danced and sang her way into the hearts of Paris, Europe and the world, but capitalized on her fame by taking on other tasks, such as combating racism in all its aspects. She adopted 12 children of all races and religions--her "rainbow tribe"-- and installed them in an immense French chateau. And, most incredibly, she took on the dangerous role of a courier in the French underground during the Nazi occupation, for which she received the French Légion d'Honneur.
If there ever was a book that defined and embodied its subject in its pages, it is Josephine Baker in Art and Life. It is a book that belongs in the library of everyone who loves Americana in its finest manifestation.
*The exhibition has now moved on to the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, where it remains until March 18, 2007
Summary of Josephine Baker: Image and Icon
Born Freda Josephine McDonald in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1906, Josephine Baker ran away from home at age thirteen to join a traveling road show. Later, after touring the country as a dancer, she left the United States for Paris. There, she starred in the groundbreaking musical revue La Revue Negre and quickly became the toast of Paris and Europe. Her versatility and flair for performance complemented Paris in the 1920sÂ?which embraced the Charleston and a progressive new musical language called jazz. Created to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the celebrated African American entertainer, Josephine Baker: Image and Icon uses lavish illustrations and informative essays to tell the story of a legendary performer whose appeal transcended race, country, and culture. This rich, once-in-a-lifetime volume gathers photographs, posters, drawings, prints, and sculpture to tell the story of BakerÂ?s life and contributions to 20th century culture. An essay by Bennetta Jules Rosette offers a biographical overview of the performerÂ?s career, and Olivia Lahs-Gonzales places Baker in context as Modern Woman. Josephine Baker: Image and Icon, through words and rare images, captures the beauty of a groundbreaking artist and her significance. It also serves as the companion to the exhibit opening April 21, 2006, at The Sheldon Art Galleries in St. Louis.Entertainers Books
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