Diane Arbus And Hubert's Museum Work: Another Arbus Mystery

The mystery that clings to the life and career of Diane Arbus continues. The Phillips de Pury auction of original Diane Arbus photographs, taken at Hubert's Flea Circus and painstakingly assembled over a number of years by book dealer Bob Langmuir, was abruptly canceled last October, literally hours before it was scheduled to begin. A day or so before, a shouting match had erupted during an appearance by Gregory Gibson, the author of "Hubert's Freaks," an account of Langmuir's discovery and recovery of the Arbus photographs. Bayo Ogunsanya. the Brooklyn man Langmuir had accquired a number of photographs from, disrupted the reading with his claim that he had been cheated in his deal with Langmuir. Shortly thereafter the auction was canceled, with Phillips offering the transparently dubious explanation of a "private sale pending."

Phillips had gone to the expense of printing a catalog and had marketed the sale aggressively. Although media speculation had the cancellation being the result of a lawsuit by Ogunsanya against Langmuir, it was noted by some observers that the suit had been filed months before the auction, with the auction house well aware of it long before the sale was scheduled. Later, more informed speculation had Phillips becoming nervous about the lackluster results at the Berman sale of Arbus photographs at Christie's, and backing out of its guarantee to Langmuir.

Ogunsanya, however, recently announced his suit had been settled on favorable terms to him, but in keeping with the Arbus mystique, details were kept under wraps. Langmuir won't comment, and neither will Phillips. Ogunsanya let it slip he'll collect "a percentage of the gross" when the sale finally does take place but refused further comment. What's not known is when, or if, the auction will be rescheduled. Langmuir isn't saying. In the meantime the auction catalog, Diane Arbus: Hubert's Museum Work 1958-1963 (April 8, 2008, New York, Photographs, has become something of a collectible, as it's uncertain if the photographs will be shown any time soon, if ever. In that, as in all things Arbus, the mystery remains.

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