Join The Collection to save, track, and explore works like this.

Diane Arbus — Three transvestites in evening dress at a lounge, N.Y.C.
Diane Arbus

Three transvestites in evening dress at a lounge, N.Y.C.

Three figures dressed in elegant evening wear pose together in a dimly lit New York City lounge, their confident yet vulnerable presence captured with Arbus's characteristically unflinching intimacy. Shot in rich black-and-white gelatin silver, the photograph draws the viewer into a world often hidden from mainstream society, highlighting the humanity and complexity of its subjects. Arbus's documentary approach transforms a private social moment into a powerful meditation on identity, performance, and belonging.

Medium
Gelatin silver print, printed 1961-1963.

🔨 Auction Lot

Photographs

May 19, 2016

Start the Discussion

Request access to join the discussion

About this work

Diane Arbus, Three transvestites in evening dress at a lounge, N.Y.C.

Three figures dressed in elegant evening wear pose together in a dimly lit New York City lounge, their confident yet vulnerable presence captured with Arbus's characteristically unflinching intimacy. Shot in rich black-and-white gelatin silver, the photograph draws the viewer into a world often hidden from mainstream society, highlighting the humanity and complexity of its subjects. Arbus's documentary approach transforms a private social moment into a powerful meditation on identity, performance, and belonging.

Medium
Gelatin silver print, printed 1961-1963.
Seen at
Phillips, New York, London, Hong Kong

Related themes

Subculture, 20th Century, Humanist Photography, LGBTQ Subject Matter, LGBTQ Subjects, Documentary Photography, Black and White Photography, Gelatin Silver Print, American Photographer, Candid Portrait, Portrait Photography, Social Documentary, Female Artist, Raw And Unflinching Mood, Black and White, Social Realism

More works by Diane Arbus