"...captures the energy and camaraderie of the city's burlesque club scene." - Burlesque Mag
Angus Stewart has spent 10 years backstage with London's burlesque community, getting to know the performers and documenting their shared world to create what he calls 'a family album'. From the beginning, his focus was on the personalities, rather than the performances. He deliberately eschews the 'big reveal'. Instead, his photographs capture the friendships, the laughter and the camaraderie that characterise the burlesque scene. We are introduced to a thriving community that values dedication and loyalty, and where the exotic is always laced with humour; and we hear from performers Belle de Beauvoir, REIx, Lady Cheek, Lady May and Lynn Ruth Miller. Burlesque can be provocative, it can be political, and it can be serious. But it can also be a lot of fun.

'I discovered that while some performers earn a living from burlesque, most have other jobs - anything from seamstresses to doctors, to company directors. This huge melting pot of professional experience, coupled with a variety of reasons for wanting to perform, means that personal development is encouraged. It's an incredibly supportive community, and I wanted to try to capture that spirit.' - Angus Stewart

About the Author

Angus Stewart is a London-based photographer, whose focus is on social documentary photography and portraiture. He has worked closely with the circus, burlesque and cabaret communities in London, getting to know the performers, photographing and interviewing them. His aim has been to depict not just the performance on stage, but also the life behind the scenes, and the highs and lows of the artists.

Recent work has included photographing grass roots activists in London and Salvador in conjunction with the UCL and UFBA, 'Rights to The City' project, and he is currently engaged with the Global Disability Innovation Hub (GDIHub), a global charity that aids the development of participatory projects in informal settlements. He is also working on a personal project, 'With Love Jeannette' - a collection of found documents, photographs, and new images related to events from the early-20th century - which addresses the fragmentary nature of history and knowledge and the continuity of human experience.

Reviews
"...captures the energy and camaraderie of the city's burlesque club scene." - Burlesque Mag



Book Information
ISBN 9781911422372
Author Angus Stewart
Format Hardback
Page Count 144
Imprint Circa Press
Publisher Circa Press
Weight(grams) 860g