Carnival Strippers

From 1972 to 1975, Susan Meiselas spent her summers photographing and interviewing women who performed striptease for small town carnivals in New England, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina. As she followed the girl shows from town to town, she portrayed the dancers on stage and off, photographing their public performances as well as their private lives. She also taped interviews with the dancers, their boyfriends, the show managers, and paying customers. Meiselas’ frank description of the lives of these women brought a hidden world to public attention. Produced during the early years of the women’s movement Carnival Strippers reflects the struggle for identity and self-esteem that characterized a complex era of change.”. This is the beautifully produced new edition of Susan Meiselas’ landmark first book from 1976 which now includes additional photographs along with an audio CD with a collage of voices from its many participants and a 1977 interview with the photographer