The Hickory Stick Bookshop at The Grace Mayflower Inn & Spa Presents:
Becoming Barbra by Bill Eppridge with Adrienne Aurichio
The Hickory Stick Bookshop will host a discussion and signing with Adrienne Aurichio, editor, long-time collaborator, and wife of the late photographer Bill Eppridge, in celebration of the book Becoming Barbra (Rizzoli, $39.95), a collection of Eppridge’s photographs of Barbara Streisand. The event will be held in the Lounge at the Grace Mayflower Inn & Spa on Sunday, June 24th from 2-4pm. Tickets can be purchased at The Hickory Stick Bookshop for $50, which includes a signed copy of the book and light refreshments. Please RSVP by June 15th.
Becoming Barbra presents a never-before-seen look at a star in the making by an award-winning photographer with full access.
From the humble beginnings of Barbra Streisand's career in 1963 to full-fledged stardom in 1966, renowned Life magazine photographer Bill Eppridge had full access to the young singer. He photographed Streisand shopping in a thrift shop; trying on outfits in her apartment; and an appearance on the The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson--then live from New York. Eppridge documented Streisand meeting with producer David Merrick, who wanted her for the starring role in Broadway's Funny Girl, which catapulted her to celebrity status.
By the time Eppridge caught up with Streisand in 1966, she was a star in full orbit. Funny Girl had just wrapped, CBS had signed her to star in three television specials, five of her albums had gone gold and one platinum, and she had received three Grammys and an Emmy. Eppridge photographed Streisand throughout her CBS rehearsals and recording sessions, then went to Paris where he covered her at fashion shows with Marlene Dietrich and Coco Chanel, and captured a Richard Avedon shoot of her for French Vogue.
Eppridge's photographs are vivid, candid, and a truly intriguing and unprecedented look at the beginnings of Streisand's career--an intimate photo album by a master photographer of one of the most talented performers of our time.
Adrienne Aurichio has been living in the Litchfield Hills for the past fourteen years since she and her late husband, photographer Bill Eppridge, moved to Connecticut in search of a quieter life. Once they settled in they began to collaborate on projects based on Bill’s archive of photography accumulated over a lifetime.
After graduation from Pratt Institute, Aurichio began working for a photography agency, which eventually led to her meeting her husband Bill Eppridge. In 2003 they decided to start their own business and moved to Connecticut. They were together until his death in 2013. By that time they had collaborated on five books of Bill’s work and several exhibitions. With the publication of Becoming Barbra, the total is now six.
“Located in the idyllic town of Washington, Connecticut, Grace Mayflower Inn & Spa is an exquisite country retreat, nestled in 58 acres of beautifully landscaped gardens and woodland. Just two hours’ drive from New York City, it is renowned as one of northeast America’s most distinguished luxury hideaways, offering the perfect accommodation for those looking for a boutique hotel in Connecticut and one of the finest spas in New England.” –The Grace Mayflower website (https://www.gracehotels.com/mayflower/)
This event is ticketed. For further information about this event please call The Hickory Stick Bookshop at 860-868-0525, visit www.hickorystickbookshop.com, or email books@hickorystickbookshop.com