Arbus had very mixed feelings about her commercial projects. In her diaries it is clear that she found the need to earn a living from her photography a strain, particularly when she was independent after her divorce from her husband, Allan. However, in the productive period of magazine publishing in the 1960s there were opportunities for Arbus to work on projects that aligned with her own personal interests. Arbus considered this image, originally commissioned by Esquire, one of her most successful and even considered including it in her limited-edition portfolio, 'A Box of Ten Photographs'. Against the dark backdrop of the tent, the paleness of the ‘albino sword swallower’ stands out, and the strong geometry of her outstretched arms and the swords’ blades above her head together create a dramatic composition.