Black is beautiful : JET beauties of the week : the photography of LaMonte McLemore /
As a founding member and vocalist in the award-winning pop-soul group The 5th Dimension, LaMonte McLemore enjoyed enormous critical and commercial acclaim in the late 1960s and early 1970s. But arguably just as impactful, if not more so, was his career as a photographer cementing Black women and mod...
| Other Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Book |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Brooklyn, New York :
powerHouse Books,
[2024].
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| Edition: | First edition. |
| Subjects: |
| Summary: | As a founding member and vocalist in the award-winning pop-soul group The 5th Dimension, LaMonte McLemore enjoyed enormous critical and commercial acclaim in the late 1960s and early 1970s. But arguably just as impactful, if not more so, was his career as a photographer cementing Black women and models in American media and cultural history. McLemore freelanced for JET magazine for more than four decades, principally shooting for its "Beauty of the Week" feature, which encapsulated Black joy, style and beauty. During this time, he photographed over 500 Black women, most of whom were not professional models. The section, in which a woman was featured in a swimsuit, usually a bikini, along with her name, place of residence, profession, hobbies and interests, became one of the most popular among the magazine's audiences, as it showcased the everyday beauty and elegance of Black women, contributing greatly to what has been called the "first form of social media" by acclaimed contemporary visual artist, Mickalene Thomas, who will be honored at the 2024 dinner and auction for the THE GORDON PARKS FOUNDATION. This photographic output serves as a living document of everyday Black fashion and elegance. Black Is Beautiful: JET Beauties of the Week compiles, for the first time, numerous photographs from McLemore's "Beauty of the Week" shoots, including never-before-seen outtakes from those sessions. This dynamic coffee table book is a tribute to LaMonte McLemore's talent and cultural impact, and is a celebration of Black women, Black beauty and Black culture. |
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| Item Description: | Color illustrations on endpapers. |
| Physical Description: | 147 pages : color illustrations ; 31 cm. |
| ISBN: | 1648230474 9781648230479 |