Hubert's Freaks: The Rare-Book Dealer, the Times Square Talker, and the Lost Photos of Diane Arbus - Hardcover

Gibson, Gregory

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0151012334 ISBN 13: 9780151012336

Publisher: Harcourt, 2008

Synopsis

Bob Langmuir is an obsessive dealer with a remarkable eye for treasure who makes the discovery of a lifetime when he chances upon a trove of never-before-seen prints by the legendary Diane Arbus. From the moment he purchases a trunk containing the archive of Hubert’s Dime Museum and Flea Circus—a midcentury Times Square freak show frequented by Arbus—and discovers some intriguing photographs, he knows he’s on to something. Furthermore, he begins to suspect that what he’s found may add a pivotal chapter to what is now known about Arbus and the “old weird America,” in Greil Marcus’s phrase, that Hubert’s inhabited.

Langmuir’s ensuing adventure, filled with bizarre coincidences, turns into a roller-coaster ride that takes him from memorabilia shows to the curator’s office at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Will the photos be authenticated? How will the Arbus estate react? most important, can Bob, who has seen more than a few promising deals head south, finally make his one big score?

About this title

From the Back Cover

"A page-turner of the first order."--Boston Globe From the moment Bob Langmuir, a down-and-out rare book dealer, spies some intriguing photographs in the archive of a midcentury Times Square freak show, he knows he's on to something. It turns out he's made the find of a lifetime--never-before-seen prints by the legendary Diane Arbus. Furthermore, he begins to suspect that what he's found may add a pivotal chapter to what is now known about Arbus as well as about the "old weird America," in Greil Marcus's phrase, that Hubert's inhabited.

Bob's ensuing adventure takes him from the fringes of the rare book business to Sotheby's, and from the exhibits of a run-down Times Square freak show to the curator's office of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Discovering the photographs turns out to be just the beginning; they must be evaluated and authenticated before they can be sold. This leads Bob into New York's high-end art world, a subculture that makes freak shows seem tame by comparison.

As the story continues in this updated edition,  canceled auctions, disappearing buyers, and and lawsuits beset the Hubert's Museum archive. Can Bob, who always manages to screw up  his most promising deals, finally make just one big score?

 "[A] tale of remarkable suspense."--Los Angeles Times "[A]n irresistible and canny mash-up of Bohemian slumming and high-art posing."--Toronto Star  

SEE AND HEAR MORE AT hubertsfreaks.com

 GREG GIBSON is the author of the critically acclaimed Gone Boy: A Walkabout and Demon of the Waters: The True Story of the Mutiny on the Whaleship Globe. An antiquarian-book dealer, he lives in Gloucester, Massachusetts.

About the Author

GREG GIBSON is the author of the critically acclaimed Gone Boy: A Walkabout and Demon of the Waters: The True Story of the Mutiny on the Whaleship Globe. An antiquarian-book dealer, he lives in Gloucester, Massachusetts.

About this edition

• Publisher: Harcourt
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0151012334
• ISBN 13: 9780151012336
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 288