Article by James Mills and photos by Bill Eppridge for Life Magazine, February 26, 1965.
This incredibly vivid and moving photo essay was published in Life Magazine in 1965. The accompanying article, The World of Needle Park, was later adapted by Joan Didion and John Gregory Dunne into the 1971 movie, The Panic in Needle Park- veiled versions of the lovers, Karen and Johnny, seen above, were played by Al Pacino and Kitty Winn. Though there had been movies about heroin addiction before, such as Sinatra's The Man with the Golden Arm, this photo story was a shocking look at a world most Americans did not know existed. Bill Eppridge, better known for his images of Robert Kennedy, went on to do several other stories about the heroin problem in the United States that are equally revealing yet sensitive.
How sad is it to think she only photographed two years (1926-28)? What I've seen of her architecture and urban planning never seems to have the same freshness and clarity of line, but her career path from weaver to photographer to architect and urban planner is definitely one of interest.
I'm holed up for the holidays in my parents' lovely flat in Florence, enjoying a welcome break from the stresses of New York. While I have been here I have been spending my time doing nothing, which has been wonderful. To celebrate my time here I thought I would share this gorgeous image from the 1970s apartment of an Italian popstar.
In an example of radical chic, young pop singer Franco Ceccarelli of Equipe 84 effects a new twist on the bath-in-the-kitchen cold-water flat. His is in an 18th-century palace in Milan. The grandeur of the architecture didn't include the amenities of a bath, so Ceccarelli installed one beneath the palatial window in his kitchen-dining room. It is left uncovered and artfully obvious. Such disdain for conventions is delightfully incongruous with the Italianate dining table and chairs and the elegant brass serving tray in one corner.
Text by Norma Skurka with photographs by Oberto Gil for Underground Interiors, 1972.
Equipe 84 were the most famous Italian beat group from the 60's, and they continued until 1974 though Ceccarelli left in 1970. Ceccarelli then went off on the "hippie trail" to Kabul before opening a store in Modena (I believe). He restarted the band in the mid-80s with some of the original members. They still perform together, and he also writes music for theater, film and television. Franco Ceccarelli wrote a book on the history of Equipe 84, Lo ho in mente te. Storia dell'Equipe 84, which was published in 1996.
I saved my absolute favourite for last! The rough rock wall of the home in this image always reminded me of my grandmother's house in North Caroline and all of the ornaments are just the kind of crafts she would have done. I think anyone who woke up to this riot of colours on Christmas morning would not be able to resist feeling joyful.
The problem I have with all vintage holiday food books is that, while the recipes often sound delicious and I usually love the presentation of them, I can never eat them due to my allergies. I can't eat pretty much anything on this table, but I love the colours and style of the buffet.
While I am not religious at all, I love the stylized imagery and colours of these banners- I would love to have these on my walls with the same messages and maybe slightly less Christian iconography...
When I saw NOWNESS' twitter update today that they had a story about Liz Goldwyn, I immediately knew I had to read it. Unlike most children of iconic Hollywood families, Liz has always seemed more interesting and more hard-working. Her documentary about burlesque, Pretty Things, was a wonderful and engaging look at the women who created this art form and I've heard great things about the accompanying book. My interest in Goldwyn has always lay more with her personal style, though, as she is a huge vintage collector, and can always be seen in a stunning antique dress with her signature red lips at many LA parties. The interview on Nowness is short but definitely worth a read- if only to get a frisson of jealously over her climate controlled storage space for her vintage collection. In the accompanying images Goldwyn is photographed in a red and black version of Thea Porter's iconic Gypsy dress. Probably the most interesting thing about this (beyond the fact that it is a truly beautiful dress), is that she has been photographed for a magazine wearing it before- below is a scan from Self Service, Fall/Winter 2001, with Goldwyn in the same piece. It's nice to know that she is willing to be photographed, not just wear, an article of clothing again- it always seems as though all of these gorgeous vintage pieces are worn by celebrities for one occasion and then disappear into a cupboard for another thirty years or so...
It takes hundreds of hours a month to find and scan all of these amazing images- if you enjoy my treasures, please donate so that I can continue to uncover more.
- veiled versions of the lovers, Karen and Johnny, seen above, were played by Al Pacino and Kitty Winn. Though there had been movies about heroin addiction before, such as Sinatra's The Man with the Golden Arm
, this photo story was a shocking look at a world most Americans did not know existed. Bill Eppridge, better known for his images of Robert Kennedy, went on to do several other stories about the heroin problem in the United States that are equally revealing yet sensitive.
, 1972.
, 1980.
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