Series II: Celebrity photographs and ephemera, 1968-2003
Scope and Contents Note
This series consists of photographs and ephemera featuring artists, celebrities and scenes from NYC nightlife. Much of this material is focused on Peter Max, an American artist known for his brightly-colored Pop Art prints and paintings. Bettina Cirone frequently worked with Max, photographing him in his studio and at events, and these photos were often published in newspaper and magazine pieces. In addition to these photos, the series includes clippings and press releases about Max and his work, as well as printed matter featuring Max's designs. Also included in this series is correspondence between Cirone and Peter Max's office about payment and barter agreements between the two.
The series also contains a number of images of actress Elizabeth Taylor speaking at amfAR (American Foundation for AIDS Research) events, promoting her perfume, and on stage in the plays The Little Foxes(1981), and Private Lives (1983) with Richard Burton. There are also slides of Taylor with Senator John Warner, Van Johnson, Mike Nichols, NYC Mayor Ed Koch, Leo Castelli, Malcolm Forbes, and Nelson Rockefeller. Additionally, there are individual slides of Gloria Steinem, Simon and Garfunkel in Central Park, and Ronald and Nancy Reagan.
Cirone often took photos at the legendary nightclub Studio 54, which opened in 1977. This series includes Cirone's images of celebrities and events at Studio 54 including singers Elton John and Liza Minelli, designers Halston and Diane Von Furstenberg, artist Andy Warhol, writers Tennesee Williams and Truman Capote, actresses Chita Rivera, Farrah Fawcett, Ali McGraw, and Bianca Jagger, media executives Bob Evans and Barry Diller, models Lauren Hutton, Christie Brinkley, and Marisa Berenson, dancer Martha Graham, and Steve Rubell,the owner of Studio 54. In addition, there are images of drag queens and people in costume at Studio 54, including an image of Warhol with two women dressed as the cartoon characters She-ra and Catra. This series also includes ephemera such as invitations to events at Studio 54, a VIP pass, and clippings about the nightclub.