I love Barbra…a lot. My fascination began in 1977, but growing up my friends didn’t share my fascination, because most kids were preoccupied with Leif Garrett, Willy Aames and Shaun Cassidy. And because Barbra never graced the cover of Tiger Beat, these teen idols were a mystery to me. Today, I’m pleasantly surprised to be part of a very supportive and expanding population of adults (that span all ages) who share my enthusiasm for Barbra.
Recently, when asked by another Barbra enthusiast what I look for as a collector, I immediately responded "candid pictures”! Luckily, eBay eagerly feeds my insatiable appetite for just that.
In no particular order, below are my Top 5 Favourite Photographs from my growing collection (technically, there’s more than five but who’s counting?!?).
December 29, 1983 - Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau escorted Barbra to the United Jewish Appeal Federation’s Gala [honouring Barbra] at the Sheraton Centre in Los Angeles. Being Canadian, it was very exciting to think that maybe, just maybe, Barbra could one day be Canada’s First Lady! As improbable as that was, it didn’t stop my wishful thinking. Recently, I acquired four colour negatives from that event and they capture Barbra looking relaxed and glamorous in gold (35mm colour negatives).
1972 - My favourite Barbra film is Up The Sandbox, so it’s no surprise that this candid shot of Barbra relaxing on set is also one of my favourite pictures of her (35mm transparency).
March 18, 1972 - I acquired the original photograph on the left, then I purchased the 35mm transparency of Barbra on the right. Afterwards, I realized both photographs were taken on the same day! Barbra attended the Directors Guild of America Awards with director Peter Bogdanovich (L: 3x4 original photograph and R: 35mm transparency).
1971 & 1973 - These were my very first original candid photographs, so they hold a special place in my collection. The photograph on the left was taken in 1973 and I believe it may have been taken on set of “For Pete’s Sake” during rehearsals (and without her wig!). The photographs on the right are candid shots of Barbra “on the street” (1971) (4x4 and 4x6 original photographs).
1967 - This 2 1/4" colour transparency is by far the most sensational addition to my collection, and by far the most expensive at a whopping $80 CDN! On Sunday, March 27, 2016, a savvy eBay vendor sold approximately 200 original transparencies (in under three hours) and I was lucky enough to win one. I love that Omar Shariff is smoking in the nursery - such a dichotomy!
June 27, 2016
