Female Impersonator, New York

Lisette Model American, born Austria

Not on view

Lisette Model immigrated to New York via Paris in 1938 and almost immediately became an activist in the American photographic scene. She was a lauded teacher at the New School for Social Research and also gave private lessons. Her teaching pedagogy and probing, unfiltered style of picture making were embraced by her many students, the popular press, and museums. Attracted to diverse social types—much like her student Diane Arbus would later be—she focused her lens on cabaret performers and musicians, beggars and the flamboyantly wealthy, as well as other denizens of New York nightlife in the 1940s and 1950s.

Female Impersonator, New York, Lisette Model (American (born Austria), 1901–1983), Gelatin silver print

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.