22

Waléry (Stanislaw Julian Ignacy Ostroróg)

1863-1929

A selection of 2 photographs of the iconic figure François "Féral" Benga (1906-1957). Circa 1930.

Silver prints
Each with Waléry's signature and the notation "Paris" in ink on recto, and his Reproduction and Copyright stamp on verso
the images 6 5/8 x 4 1/2 in. (16.8 x 11.4 cm.)

  • Provenance: Benga was a well-known figure in both Paris and New York. The Senegalese dancer shared a stage with Josephine Baker at the Folies Bergère in Paris, starring in sensational, exoticized shows. In New York, he moved in both the Harlem Renaissance and gay circles of Manhattan. Richmond Barthé, Carl van Vechten, and George Platt Lynes, among others, made portraits and sculptures inspired by Benga (Barthé's an iconic, signature work), and he starred in Jean Cocteau's "The Blood of a Poet." By 1947, Benga had opened a bar in Paris that featured an African cabaret.
  • Condition:
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August 21, 2025 10:30 AM EDT
New York, NY, US

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