Diva Photos from The Black Star Collection at Ryerson UniversityThe Black Star Collection at Ryerson University

Literally, the word means “goddess” – and indeed the diva seems to transcend her humanity, captivating us, dazzling us, and inspiring our awe. Equally at home behind the microphone and before the camera’s lens, popular culture’s most adored women embody the essence of stardom.

Thirteen photographs of such world-famous divas as Cher, Janis Joplin, Annie Lennox, and Liza Minnelli frame the performances in Yonge-Dundas Square throughout the Festival. Drawn from the quarter of a million pictures assembled over eight decades by New York’s Black Star photo agency and anonymously donated to Ryerson University in 2005, these dramatic images are icons of our times.

Images from the Black Star Collection at Ryerson University. Courtesy of the Ryerson Gallery and Research Centre.

Presented in Association with:
Ryerson University