[magkelly]

How many of you have seen the controversial 70's film "Pretty Baby" with Brooke Shields naked on screen playing a little Lolita-esque prostitute in New Orleans at barely 12? I can still remember seeing that movie when I was only a little younger and being very surprised that my Mom and Dad let me watch it. Then again they also let me see "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore" when I was about the same age because they apparently had no idea it wasn't a Disney kid's movie. What can I say? My parents were kind of clueless when it came to G vs PG apparently. I saw a lot of things a kid my age should never have seen as a result. No doubt that is why I am such a warped character.

Anyway, at the time I can remember being vaguely fascinated with it, but also more than a little repulsed by the photographer character Keith Carradine played. At the time, and for many years after I had no idea that that character was semi-based on a real person by the name of E J Bellocq who apparently really did photograph the prostitutes of Storyville in New Orleans around the turn of the last century. I ran across some of his work recently and finally made the connection. The film is apparently out on DVD now albeit in a cropped format that cuts back a lot on the nudity. I had not seen it again but I decided that I would hunt it down, in it's original version if possible, and watch it again now that I knew more about Bellocq, which I did. Actually, it was a lot more interesting this time around, maybe because I understood the man and the whole era and place a lot better than when I was a wee kid.

What really fascinates me though is his work. It's very early boudoir. Sort of reminds me of the more older images they used to sell on those pocket porn cards for men back then. I think it's pretty tame compared to some of the stuff like that. I think he was actually quite a skilled portraitist. His ladies of the evening look quite lovely in his shots most of the time and they show a grace I would not expect given the subject matter. Some of them they look more like society girls than hookers...

The film:

Pretty Baby (1978 film) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The photographer:

E. J. Bellocq - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The images I like best:

http://images.artnet.com/aoa_lot_images/81986/ej-bellocq-new-orleans-photogr...print-zoom.jpg

http://media.npr.org/assets/img/2010/05/27/bellocq_custom-0efd81e3d4b949dc16...5e2-s6-c30.jpg

http://livedoor.blogimg.jp/slimshady515/imgs/e/d/ed04c696.jpg

and the book that has a lot of them if you want to see more:

E.J. Bellocq: Storyville Portraits- Photographs from the New Orleans Red-Light District, Circa 1912: E. J. Bellocq: 9780870702525: Amazon.com: Books

Some of his plates are also on flickr, google image searches, but not all his Storyville work is represented, and I gather the book is entirely worth the purchase if you are into old time boudoir. Me, I think I am going to have to pick it up next time I order on Amazon. As I like to do vintage boudoir type work, and find these quite inspiring, it looks like a great collection of old images to have on my shelf.

[Tom S.]

Moved to proper area. General Talk is for non-photographic topics only.