Patricia Allmer & John Sears: 4 Saints in 3 Acts

Four Saints in Three Acts by Gertrude Stein and Virgil Thomson was a major avant-garde phenomenon of the 1930s, an experimental opera that nonetheless achieved remarkable popular success. Photography was a key element of that success, but its complex roles in the construction, representation and dissemination of the opera have hitherto received little critical attention. The photographic recording of the all-African American cast in particular affords a unique insight into the complexities of Four Saints in relation to the Harlem Renaissance and the New York avant-gardes of the time.

This book, published in collaboration with The Photographers' Gallery, London, presents a wide selection of photographs of the cast, performances, and other material - many images reproduced for the first time - alongside essays by an international range of scholars exploring different aspects of the opera, including dance, fashion, music, and avant-garde writing, as well as photography.

 

Title: 4 Saints in 3 Acts: A Snapshot of the American Avant-Garde in the 1930s
Publisher: Manchester University Press, The Photographers' Gallery, 2017
Author: Patricia Allmer, John Sears
Photographer: Lee Miller
Graphic Design: Servis Filmsetting Ltd.
Format: Softcover
Size: 23.5 x 15.5 cm, 166 pages
ISBN: 9781526113030
Edition: -