Birth of a Funny Girl: A New Streisand Book Celebrates “Becoming Barbra”

Hello, gorgeous! while la streisand is rightly praised for her extraordinary voice, over the course of her career she’s also inspired many a photographer with her unique beauty and style. Babs may still be glowin’ and goin’ strong (as she proved in last year’s Netflix special Barbra: The Music… The Mem’ries… The Magic!), but longtime fans and more recent devotees alike will find much to kvell over with this peek into her past in American photographer Bill Eppridge’s new photographic retrospective Becoming Barbra (available from Rizzoli for $39.95 this April). On two separate assignments for LIFE magazine, Eppridge was treated to an intimate look at the life of the performer — in that twinkling halflight between struggle and superstardom — that few others have been afforded. rizzoliusa.comFrom browsing through the racks at thrift stores to lounging in her modestly decorated New York City apartment in 1963 to a behind-the-scenes visit to a studio recording session  in 1966, the photos give glimpses into Streisand’s life as she was still on the cusp of becoming a household name. She may be best remembered for larger-than-life roles in pieces like Hello, Dolly!, A Star is Born, Yentl and Funny Girl (the film adaptation of which is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary), but there’s a singular charm to remembering the way she was.

Also read Streisand Storms the Stage One Last Time in Streaming Netflix Doc