Several years ago, I strolled up to
the dealer's room at Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekend, and saw a display
of photographs I fell in love with. They were images of contemporary
burlesque performers, but shot in a retro-vintage style, like old
pin-ups or promotional shots from press kits. The composition was
masterful and you could tell the photographer had his models completely
at ease and was genuinely capturing a piece of their spirit on film.
That photographer was Neil 'Nez' Kendall.
First of all, I don't think it can be debated that Neil is one of the most accomplished photographers of burlesque performers in the world. Every time I see a new image from him, I feel a sense of time widening, because he so perfectly captures that mid-century aesthetic that co-existed with burlesque's peak of popularity. If you're a fan of photography, history, burlesque, or all of the above, there are so many things to love about Neil's work.
Neil more than re-creates history, he's an encyclopedia of it. I speak with him almost every year in Las Vegas, and the guy knows his stuff: performers, theaters, photographers, managers, who stole an act from who back in the day and other juicy stories, because he has sat and interviewed so many people with ties to burlesque going back decades. And he LOVES it all. He is a resource to the community in so many ways, and he also produces extravagant shows himself that I hope to attend one day. If I had to rank people based on their enthusiasm for the totality of burlesque, Neil would be in the top 10 worldwide. I relish every chance I get to spend a few minutes with him.
We all need to take a step back from things we love sometimes to allow them, and us, room to breathe. A couple of weeks ago Neil left his camera behind (don't worry, he still has his phone, which has a camera) and began an open-ended epic outdoor adventure. I know he plans to trek through a myriad of countries, and I hope he returns revitalized and with new ideas I know he'll share with us all.
First of all, I don't think it can be debated that Neil is one of the most accomplished photographers of burlesque performers in the world. Every time I see a new image from him, I feel a sense of time widening, because he so perfectly captures that mid-century aesthetic that co-existed with burlesque's peak of popularity. If you're a fan of photography, history, burlesque, or all of the above, there are so many things to love about Neil's work.
Neil more than re-creates history, he's an encyclopedia of it. I speak with him almost every year in Las Vegas, and the guy knows his stuff: performers, theaters, photographers, managers, who stole an act from who back in the day and other juicy stories, because he has sat and interviewed so many people with ties to burlesque going back decades. And he LOVES it all. He is a resource to the community in so many ways, and he also produces extravagant shows himself that I hope to attend one day. If I had to rank people based on their enthusiasm for the totality of burlesque, Neil would be in the top 10 worldwide. I relish every chance I get to spend a few minutes with him.
We all need to take a step back from things we love sometimes to allow them, and us, room to breathe. A couple of weeks ago Neil left his camera behind (don't worry, he still has his phone, which has a camera) and began an open-ended epic outdoor adventure. I know he plans to trek through a myriad of countries, and I hope he returns revitalized and with new ideas I know he'll share with us all.
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