RE: [Leica] RE: minilabs

["Patrick G. Sobalvarro" <pgs@sobalvarro.org>]

> From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of
> jeremy.kime@bbc.co.uk
>
> Folks might be aware that one of David Douglas Duncan's books,
> the one on
> sunflowers (I forget the title) was generated entirely from minilab
> prints.

I hadn't heard that story about Duncan.  I recently bought a nice copy of
his autobiographical book "Yankee Nomad," which has a lot of interesting
photography and also some commentary about Leicas.  The man was certainly a
crank, but some of the photographs are really very good -- the Turkish
mountain cavalry in the snow; Picasso in his jockey shorts, standing with
his dog.

Here's a question, though -- leafing through the book, I came across a 1947
letter in which Duncan declares his intention to marry one "Leila" at 6 p.m.
that evening.  At the end of the book, he talks about his wife "Sheila."
What the hell ever happened to poor Leila?  I say poor Leila because she was
quite young and apparently taken with the brave American photographer in a
year when Americans had just recently had quite a triumph, and Duncan talks
about her as though she were an exotic catch, and then -- poof -- she's
gone.

Anybody know?

- -Patrick