Magnum Photos
In 2007, @rafal.milach traveled across his native Poland to photograph portraits of retired Polish circus performers reinhabiting their former, whimsical personas. The circus, or “Cyrk Polski,” became a cultural phenomenon during the post-war era, entertaining crowds for decades until the 1990s, when it dwindled following the collapse of the Eastern Bloc. In his series, Milach depicts the performers – former magicians, acrobats, and contortionists – donning their old costumes in the solitude of their homes. He also captured the derelict arena of the prestigious State Circus School based in Julinek. Having closed its doors in 1999, the school was reinstated in 2014 following a movement to revive its cultural heritage, and now hosts the largest circus arts exhibition in Poland. The first image in this post will be featured in the upcoming Square Print Sale, Spectacle, for one week only starting April 21. 🔗 Read more about the series at the @magnumphotos link in bio. PHOTOS (left to right): (1) Zdzislaw, 63, worked for 46 years as a magician and acrobat. Warsaw, Poland. 2007. (2) For most of his career, retired circus artist Jozef, 59, performed as a clown. Biała Podlaska, Poland. 2007. (3) Retired circus artist Jozef, 59, at home dressed in one of his old costumes. Biała Podlaska, Poland. 2007. (4) Stanislaw, 87, posing for a portrait in his apartmement. He had been working as circus orchestra conductor, musician and composer for 34 years. He has been retired for 17 years. Warsaw, Poland. 2007. (5) Retired circus artist Jozef, 59, at home dressed in one of his old costumes. Biała Podlaska, Poland. 2007. (6) Circus artist Michal, 75, assisted his wife’s tiger act after damaging his spine as a contortionist. Milanowek, Poland. 2007. (7) Stanislaw, 73, posing for a portrait in the derelict circus arena. He had been performing as an acrobat artist for more than 20 years. He has been retired for 21 years. Julinek, Poland. 2007. (8) Mieczyslaw, 79, worked as a circus performer for over 30 years, and taught at the Julinek circus school in Poland. Julinek, Poland. 2007. © @rafal.milach / Magnum Photos
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10 days ago
A little bit lynchian
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10 days ago
great portraits but so much vigneting gets us bored
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10 days ago
👏rafal 🔝
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Melancholic
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9 days ago
The sad look in Pierrot's eyes remains in my memory for a long time.
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10 days ago
These are great! ✌️
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🔥
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🔥👏
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😍
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🔥👏👏
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🔥🔥🔥🔥
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❤️
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😊🙏
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10 days ago
👍🏽📸👏🏽
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10 days ago
🙂❤️✨
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