Book Preview: Studio 54 by Hasse Persson

This week Studio 54, a wonderful new photo book from famed photo journalist Hasse Persson, was released via Swedish publisher Max Ström. The book is a wondrous blur of smoke filled scenes from the heyday of this iconic nightclub. You will see celebrities galore, most prominent of which is Andy Warhol and his many friends as Andy notoriously haunted Studio 54 on a regular basis.

Persson spent hundreds of nights at Studio 54 between 1977 and 1980. His pictures have become legendary. Now, they are published in book form for the first time.

Persson's bio is filled with amazing accomplishments and accolades:

Born in 1942, Persson has enjoyed a lengthy career as a photo-journalist, principally in the United States. When based in New York for almost a quarter of a century (1967-1990), he covered the world. He has published five books on American themes and his photographs have appeared in newspapers and magazines like The New York Times, Time, Newsweek, Paris-Match and Life as well as the Scandinavian press. 

Since his debut exhibition in 1974 at Stockholm’s Moderna Museet, Persson’s museum exhibitions have attracted attention both nationally and internationally. He has been artistic director of the Hasselblad Center in Gothenburg and art museum director of the Borås art museum in western Sweden and is currently artistic director of the Strandverket Konsthall in Marstrand on the Swedish west coast. 

Hasse Persson has been awarded Sweden’s H.M. The King’s Medal, 8th Size, “for his artistic contributions as photographer".

 In the US, you can pick up a copy of Studio 54 at Amazon! Be sure to visit Hasse Persson's website, too, for lots more photos and information!