Another Leica personality

[cmiller@berkshire.net (Curt Miller)]

Hi Folks -

Had a wonderful experience yesterday I thought I'd share.

I was invited to a small reception for the opening of a show of Inge
Morath's work yesterday.  The gallery was located in SW Massachusetts in a
glorious setting in the Berkshires.  The weather was hot and steamy.  The
gathering of about 30 people was out on the back deck enjoying chatting,
champagne, the summer weather and the views of the hills.

My wife, her friend and I mosied over to say hello to our host.  She was
talking to an older woman who appeared very familiar.  I couldn't place the
woman's name but knew her face.   At first I thought it was a woman we went
birdwatching with.  She had been introduced to us as Maureen.  Just before I
opened my big fat mouth to ask her if we had met while birding together, my
wife whispered in my ear that it was Maureen Stapleton.  Boy, glad I kept my
mouth shut!  No wonder she looked so familiar.

I recognized Ms. Morath sitting on the other side of our host.  I introduced
myself and my party to her and told her how I was also a photographer and
how fond I was of her work.  She immediately broke away from the group and
spent the next 15 minutes talking with me and my wife and friend.  When she
got out of her chair, guess what the first thing was that came to view as
she stood up?  She had her M6!  Nothing quite like that site to break the ice.  

I found Ms. Morath to be one of the nicest folks I've ever met.  She was
gracious, sincere and friendly and also very hard-working - very committed
to her craft.  She explained the reason she was carrying the camera was that
she was on assignment.  I asked if it would be too forward of me to ask her
to sign her picture of Marilyn Monroe in the "Leica Magic Moments" book.
She said she'd be delighted.  Off to my car for the book and my M5.  She was
delighted to talk shop.  Her well-used M6 had a 35 - think a Summicron 2nd
version, but maybe a Summilux.  The shade was bent and battered and the lens
had a UV filter on it.  She played with my M5 for a minute and we then spoke
about travel demands and negative development and printing - she loves to
print (many photojournalists and documentary photographers don't).

Also in attendance (though I wouldn't have known him by sight) was Marty
Forscher - mentioned by the host as a very important person in her
photographic career (and I bet in a whole lot of other's, too).  There were
lots of other TV personalities mulling about, just enjoying the event and
the wonderful day.  I've got to say, I had a hard time getting to sleep last
night.  What a day.

Curt