My experience with Allentown Photographic in the late 70's, at 12 N 8th Street, was not unlike my grandparents with the Vendig Hotel. Neither were particularly successful, both only lasted a few years, but provided many memories. Now, Bela Lugosi never came into my shop, but my custom darkroom did attract numerous characters. I printed negatives, supposedly smuggled out of Russia, of the Romanov Family, while my strange anonymous customer watched by the door for KBG agents.(If they were real, I made no copies, nor did I keep the negatives) I once rented the darkroom to the local Porno King for his art directors to produce Puritan Magazine. His former building is now becoming the new Mayflower Condominiums. I snuck into a local high school at night to photograph an old circus juggler perform his act, one more time, on the stage. This photo gem, of a midget skating between legs, is from the juggler's mementos.
reprinted from 2014
I understand that the term midget is not PC, and no offense is meant to little people. This photo heralds back to a juggler in the circus, which itself no longer exists, because of PC concern over elephants.
ReplyDeleteThe author said he did'nt make copies of the Romanoffs, but didn't say the same of the Puritan experience. Hmm.
ReplyDeleteDon@9:18, nope, no copies of that either. The magazine rented my darkroom, I did not do the work.
ReplyDelete