About this item

Using rarely accessed photographic archives and private collections, inspired by her family history, Nichelle Gainer has unearthed a revealing treasure trove of historic photographs of famous actors, dancers, writers and entertainers who worked in the 20th-century entertainment business, but who rarely appeared in the same publications as their white counterparts. Alongside the familiar images and stories of renowned performers such as Eartha Kitt, Lena Horne and Aretha Franklin are those of less well-remembered figures such as Bricktop, Pearl Primus, Diana Sands and many, many more. Vintage Black Glamour is a unique, sumptuous and revealing celebration of the lives and indomitable spirit of Black women of a previous era. Although talented, successful and ground-breaking, many of the women in these pages were ignored by mainstream media, but their life's work and attitude stand as inspiration for us still, today.



About the Author

Nichelle Gainer

Nichelle Gainer is the author of Vintage Black Glamour and Vintage Black Glamour: Gentlemen's Quarters, coffee table books that celebrate some of the most glamorous, inspiring and groundbreaking black women and men - legendary and obscure - of the 20th century.

Nichelle is the screenwriter and co-producer of the forthcoming documentary version of Vintage Black Glamour and has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, BBC News, and O, The Oprah Magazine. Visit nichellegainer.com and sign up for Nichelle's email newsletter for updates.

Author photo: Basil Rodericks, Face It Foto.



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