[Leica] paris/london trip rep't

[Christer Almqvist <chris@almqvist.net>]

The main reason I include Paris in this report is that there I saw somebody
with an M6, not a Lugger though. I saw him in the Maison de la photo (which
is a couple of hundred yards off the Champs Elysees, on the left hand side
if you walk down. The little street itself,  where the museum is, is not
well known to taxi drivers or most people in the area so ask for the statue
of Balzac, the statue is at the end of the garden of the Hotel Rothschild,
which is now the Maison de la photo). The exhibtion shown was the
collection from a German bank, and the M6 user and I agreed it was most
disappointing. The garden and the house are superb, and there will soon be
another exhibition....

We also agreed that the exhibitions of young photographers at Fnac (both at
Les Halles and at Montparnasse) are very worthwhile. Fnac is a very large
chain store for photo, video, books etc. The small exhibition area at Les
Halles is a bit away from the store and on one of the higher levels. It is
not well marked, so ask for directions at the information stand. In
general, I have never been disappointed with the Fnac exhibits.

In London I did not see a single M6 the threee days I was there. I went to
the Victoria and Albert museum following the suggestion from somebody in
this group. The print room is located above the cafeteria (stale air and
stale food at inflated places). Take the lift to the top floor, walk up
some stairs to the gents (ladies walk down) to wash your hands as is
politely suggested by a written notice, then put away all ball point and
ink pens, take one of the pencils provided and a request form and proceed
to the little drawers full of index cards (oh no, they do have one computer
too, I saw it myself). Just select any photographer. You will then be given
a box with about a score of original prints including the one you
requested. The archival systems seem to be "in the order the prints were
acquired", and as most prints seem to have been acquired indiviually you
get quite a selection in each box.  I had put down David Bailey's name on
one of the requests, and it appers he had given a large number of prints to
the museum once, so one of the boxed I got had only Bailey prints. All this
is a great expericence. You will say to yourself: Leica lenses are great,
modern films are superior, pity I do not manage the rest like the
masters.....the light, the moment, the composition

There were two other photo exhibitons on the ground floor in the V&A, one
from the collection of a japanese camera manufacturer. Worth looking at

Very interesting was my visit to Hamiltons, a gallery specializing in
photography and located a few steps to the right of the Connaught where
room prices start at 280 pounds for single occupancy.  They showed prints
by Horst P Horst, one of my favourites. I asked if they had any photos by
Jones, the gardener who made stills of vegetables about a hundred yeas ago.
All his prints know to date were found in a box, left unsold at a junk
auction and then picked up for peanuts!  Yes they said, we have all his
prints, except those that we have already sold. Quite increadibly
beautiful.  IKEA has purchased the rights to reproduce them, but I fear I
will be disappointed with the IKEA quality no matter how good, because the
originals were so extraordinary.

Coming out of Hamiltons, I saw this gentleman outside the Conaught
stepping out of a taxi with a lot of bags  (Harrods would have been proud
if their bag had been in the collection) and the doorman took them and
wanted to open the hotel door for the guest. Wait, said the guest, I
dropped a coin under the taxi, he'll have to drive away first. I guess the
tip for the taxi driver had been minimal, because he took a long time to
get away. He would have been pleased to know that the coin was not found.
And now I know what it feels like to be filthy rich...

Past the Connaught, across the steet is a studio charging  1325 pound for a
framed wall portrait 40" x 50" on canvas. I had a nice talk with the
photograper and I asked him about his pictures... oh yes this one of the
Duke of Edinburgh was one of fourteen we made in one morning session,  each
of the fourteen in a different uniform, one for each regiment with which he
has connectins. Am I glad to be an amateur!

Next to the photographer's is the small entrance to a sublime little park
where I rested my tired feet before proceeding to the Rocket Gallery a
short walk away at 13 Old Burlington Street. It is a small gallery, but
very dedicated to modern photographers like Brian Harris. Well worth
visiting.

Then it was Photographers' Gallery in Great Newport Street with a
retrospective of Francesca Woodman and portraits by the Dutch photographer
Helen von Meene. I found both exhibitions very inspiring, although their
style is far from mine (that is if I have one!)

After that I should have taken the Chinese Doctor's massage in the
pedestrian area of Chinatown, but I did not. I still do not know why.


- --
christer almqvist
eichenstrasse 57, d-20255 hamburg, fon +49-40-407111 fax +49-40-4908440
14 rue de la hauteur, f-50590 regnéville-sur-mer, fon+fax +33-233 45 35 58