HUBERT'S FREAKS: The Rare-Book Dealer, the Times Square Talker, and the Lost Photos of Diane Arbus Book

Bob Langmuir is an obsessive dealer with a remarkable eye for treasure who makes the discovery of a lifetime when he chances upon a trove of never-before-seen prints by the legendary Diane Arbus. From the moment he purchases a trunk containing the archive of Hubertâ??s Dime Museum and Flea Circus—a midcentury Times Square freak show frequented by Arbus—and discovers some intriguing photographs, he knows heâ??s on to something. Furthermore, he begins to suspect that what heâ??s found may add a pivotal chapter to what is now known about Arbus and the “old weird America,â? in Greil Marcusâ??s phrase, that Hubertâ??s inhabited. Langmuirâ??s ensuing adventure, filled with bizarre coincidences, turns into a roller-coaster ride that takes him from memorabilia shows to the curatorâ??s office at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Will the photos be authenticated? How will the Arbus estate react? most important, can Bob, who has seen more than a few promising deals head south, finally make his one big score? Read More