Photography and Text by Tony Ward, Copyright 2022
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Memories: Meeting Alice in Paris
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I first came to know about Alice Chaillou when we were introduced on Facebook in 2014. We had mutual friends at my former Paris based publishing house, La Musardine. Alice was a fan of my work before we met having collected some of the titles that were published by La Musardine including: Orgasm and OrgasmXL. They were a pair of Alice’s early favorites as I recall.
We formed a correspondence over a brief period and agreed to meet in Paris for a photo shoot during my tour through several European cities in the summer of 2014. She was working as a receptionist at the Alba Opera Hotel in the 9th arrondissement just a short walk to the Moulin Rouge and Sacre’ Coeur. Alice suggested that I stay where she worked so that she could coordinate our photo shoot at the hotel, as she had a good relationship with the owner.
This particular photo was taken on the stairwell where a lift could be used instead of the stairs to access each floor. I love the old fashioned design and thought it worked well with the vintage fashion Alice modeled. Paris is loaded with all kinds of lingerie shops and vintage fashion antique stores. It didn’t take us long to put this scene together as it satisfied both of our imaginations and sense of nostalgia the hotel imbued. There is a plaque on the outside facade of the Alba as a tribute to the legendary trumpeter Louis Armstrong, who once lived at the hotel from 1934-35.
Eight years later we continue to be friends and keep in touch. I have invited her to visit the U.S. for the first time as a guest of the studio. I hope she takes me up on that offer soon. To be continued….
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