Jerry Dantzic | Billie Holiday at Sugar Hill

In this B&H Event Space video, photographer and author Grayson Dantzic shares behind-the-scenes stories and images from his 17-year journey to make the book, Jerry Dantzic: Billie Holiday at Sugar Hill. In 1957, Grayson’s father, New York photojournalist Jerry Dantzic, spent time with Billie Holiday during a week-long run of performances at the Newark, New Jersey, nightclub Sugar Hill. The resulting images offer a rare, behind-the-scenes glimpse of the iconic singer with her family, friends, and her pet Chihuahua, Pepi.

During his presentation, Dantzic shares the lessons he learned during his hunt through the raw materials in his father’s archive, and the slow transformation to a finished product. In the process, he defines some of the responsibilities of being an archivist, offering tips you can apply to your own work. After watching, you’ll have a new appreciation for the goals that can be accomplished with perseverance and belief in a specifically defined project.