Lee Miller à travers la Roumanie, l’appareil photo à la main (1946)
A former model and fashion photographer turned war photographer, Lee Miller visited Romania twice, in 1938 and 1946 respectively. After her second visit she published her impressions and pictures, under the title of Roumania, in Vogue magazine. Besides the published material there are her manuscript...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Publishing House of the Romanian Academy
2012-01-01
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| Series: | Revue Roumaine d'Histoire de l'Art : Série Beaux-Arts |
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| Online Access: | http://www.istoria-artei.ro/resources/files/RRHA_2012_Adrian-Silvan-Ionescu.pdf |
| Summary: | A former model and fashion photographer turned war photographer, Lee Miller visited Romania twice, in 1938 and 1946 respectively. After her second visit she published her impressions and pictures, under the title of Roumania, in Vogue magazine. Besides the published material there are her manuscripts from The Lee Miller Achives at Farley Farm House, East Sussex, England, on which this paper is based. She crossed the border coming from Hungary in early February 1946. Heading for Sibiu her car, a Chevrolet Sedan, slipping on the ice-covered road, stopped on a snowbank far off in the ditch. While looking for help in the nearby village she and her companions left the car unguarded to discover it plundered of everything, wheels included.On a Sunday afternoon she had the privilege of being received by King Mihai I and Queen Mother Elena with whom she talked exstensively. She also took magnificent pictures with the Royal Family in the imposing Peleş Castle. At Sinaia, „the summer capital of Roumania” she had also the opportunity to portray Dinu Brătianu and Iuliu Maniu, the two elderly statesmen. Maniu was surrounded by friends and party members, among whom was young Corneliu Coposu, his private secretary.Moving to Bucharest, she met old friends such as Harri Brauner and his wife, Lena Constante, with whom she wandered through the country eight years ago. Lena and Elena Pătrășcanu, wife of Lucrețiu Pătrășcanu, Minister of Justice, have started a successful marionette theatre where Lee took nice pictures. Other were taken on the streets, with peasants, street vendors and their customers. Harri took her to a bistro where they met Maria Lătărețu, the celebrating folk singer whom Brauner recorded many times. They enjoyed her songs. Suffering from fibrositis, Lee Miller undertook a peculiar treatment in a gypsy village where the inhabitants were dancing bears trainers. She was massaged by a bear weighing about 300 pounds while Brauner took pictures with her Rolleiflex.In her writings and pictures, Lee Miller left a vivid portrait of post-war Romania. |
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| ISSN: | 0556-8080 2067-5127 |