taken in paris in 1933 and entitled "le mome bijou".
she was one of the denizens of the all night cafes. no one knew who she was but there were various stories about her-that she was once a fabled courtesan who'd had paris at her feet, that she was the last of an impoverished noble house, that she was really a man. brassai only managed to snap a few photos of her before she caught him and became infuriated and screamed at him. she disappeared during the war and no one ever knew what became of her, whether she died of privation or old age or in one of the concentration camps. no one ever even knew her real name, she was always called le mome bijou.
i've been looking at this photo for at least 40 years and every time, i get a small shock at first glance and then discover something new about it. where ever she is, i hope she's laughing her head off at the fact that even though she was anonymous in life, she's immortal in photographic history.
another photograpn that i love.............
What is it about old photographs? Taken with antiquated cameras and technology, they hold a mystery and power that digital can't match. I wonder if the human eye was keener or is it like music. Digital lacks the warmth and depth of vinyl or analog.
I agree with some who say this is a guy in drag . . . which doesn't diminish the mystery at all, but rather adds something new to it.
I imagine the interesting conversation one could have with this woman. An open mind and a sense of humor could give a guy a fascinating, even educational few hours of pleasure.
Looks like Jack Lemmon in Some Like It Hot......