For her new book Legends: The Living Art of Risqué, French photographer Marie Baronnet traveled the country to take joyous, revealing portraits of early burlesque performers, many in Las Vegas (such as Bambi Jones, above).
What made you undertake this?
It was my fascination for this community of talented women, pioneers in their own way, who brought a great contribution to the emancipation of women in general. They were in charge of their lives with such audacity and freedom at a time when women were supposed to be perfect housewives. Also, I wanted to work with mature women who, past a certain age, are never shown as desirable. I wanted to represent them in their full age, showing still, to me, a lot of seduction, glamour and even eroticism. As a European woman it was also fascinating to see the history of American striptease unfolding through these stories, from WWII to the ’90s.
What was your goal while shooting these portraits?
I thought of showing those women today without trying to dissimulate their age, helped by their beautiful costumes. And their theatrical talent. After each portrait I would do an interview, asking about their work and burlesque careers but also about their lives. It was very moving to see how those women have been survivors, leaving a great legacy of a world that has now disappeared.
What’s the funniest thing that happened during this project?
My first interview was with Dixie Evans; she was 85 at the time. She hosted me in her little caravan in Vegas. She was wearing a wonderful red dress. When we started to shoot the portrait, she proposed to take her top off. She stripped in front of the camera with such joy and glamour, it was contagious. She initiated me in a way that gave me faith to pursue this project.
The Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender is June 4-7 at The Orleans, bhofweekend.com