Arbus, Diane. Diane Arbus, A Biography by Patricia Bosworth.

Knopf, 1984. By Patricia Bosworth. First edition, hardcover. The first biography of the photographer known for her revealing portraits of people, including those with unusual physical characteristics. Fine with near fine dust jacket.  Summary:

Originally published in 1984, Patricia Bosworth’s "Diane Arbus: A Biography" is the first major account of the life of one of the most provocative and influential photographers of the 20th century. Because the Arbus estate declined to cooperate with the project, Bosworth relied on more than 200 interviews with friends, family, and peers to reconstruct Arbus's enigmatic world.

The Trajectory of a Life

The biography traces Arbus’s journey from her affluent, sheltered upbringing as a member of the Nemerov family (owners of the Russeks department store) to her immersion in the gritty underworld of New York City.

• The Fashion Years: It details her early career working alongside her husband, Allan Arbus, in fashion photography—a world she ultimately found hollow and suffocating.

• Finding Her Voice: The book explores her transition in the late 1950s toward her signature style, seeking out "prohibited" subject matter under the mentorship of Lisette Model.

• The Pursuit of the "Freak": Bosworth examines Arbus's obsession with marginalized figures—giants, twins, nudists, and circus performers—whom she viewed not as objects of pity, but as "aristocrats" who had already passed their life's "check-point."

Key Themes

• Psychological Complexity: A significant portion of the book focuses on Arbus’s long struggle with debilitating depression and her complex, often co-dependent relationships.

• The Artist's Ethics: Bosworth delves into the controversial nature of Arbus's methods, including the intimate, sometimes intrusive relationships she formed with her subjects to capture their "flaw."

• The Final Act: The biography culminates in a detailed account of the events leading up to Arbus's suicide in 1971 at the age of 48, an event that cemented her status as a tragic cult figure in the art world.

Significance

Bosworth’s work is credited with humanizing a woman who had become a myth. While some critics argue the lack of estate access limits the book's ability to analyze the photographs themselves, it remains the definitive "unauthorized" narrative of the woman behind the camera, providing essential context for the haunting intensity of her imagery.