The publication of Diane Arbus: An Aperture Monograph in 1972—along with the posthumous retrospective at The Museum of Modern Art—offered the general public its first encounter with the breadth and power of her achievements. The response was unprecedented.

The monograph, composed of 80 photographs, was edited and designed by the painter Marvin Israel, Diane Arbus' friend and colleague, and by her daughter Doon Arbus. Their goal in producing the book was to remain as faithful as possible to the standards by which Arbus judged her own work and to the ways in which she hoped it would be seen. Universally acknowledged as a photobook classic, Diane Arbus: An Aperture Monograph is a timeless masterpiece with editions in five languages, and remains the foundation of her international reputation.

Format: Hardback
50th Anniversary Edition
Number of pages: 184
Publication date: 2011-09-30
Published by Aperture in association with the Smithsonian American Art Museum
Measurements: 9.6 x 11.3 x 0.8 inches
ISBN: 9781597111744

Diane Arbus (1923–1971) revolutionized the terms of the art she practiced, re-defining photography and establishing its place within the art world. Five volumes of her work have been published posthumously and have remained continuously in print.

John P. Jacob is the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s McEvoy Family Curator for Photography. Jacob weaves a fascinating tale of the creation, production, and continuing repercussions of this seminal work.

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