Revisiting the Beat Scene

Posted on October 11, 2018 by Chris Kretz

The Southampton Library wrapped up its fall Art in Focus lecture series with Elena Prohaska Glinn speaking about The Beat Scene (Reel Art Press). This book presents photographs taken by her late husband, Magnum photographer Burt Glinn. The photos capture the burgeoning Beat movement between 1957 and 1960 on the East and West Coast.

From left: Elena Prohaska Glinn, Helen Harrison, Chris Kretz.

Moving between Manhattan lofts and San Francisco cafes, Burt Glinn was an unseen observer documenting the lives and public interactions of writers, poets and artists such as Jack Kerouac, Gregory Corso, Larry Rivers and Helen Frankenthaler. The photos, many in stunning color, provide a who’s-who of the contemporary bohemian scene. They also provide glimpses into lost spaces: the Five Spot jazz club and Willem de Kooning’s studio, to name two.

Glinn also provided insights into how her husband worked and how he approached his varied assignments, which included meeting Fidel Castro in Cuba during the Cuban Revolution in 1959. It was a fascinating look into iconic and life-changing events and we thank her for sharing them with our audience.

The Art in Focus lecture series is co-sponsored by the Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center and the Stony Brook Southampton Library, made possible by support from the John H. Marburger III Fund of Stony Brook University.