Maybe someone will seem interesting letter from the United States.

Good evening, citizens and comrades. Someone like, of course, we deal in Tyumen by the evening. Usually I post here some of his tales, but this post in a different format. Something like Photo report, which I, with your permission, sometimes comment on. Maybe someone will seem interesting.

So this spring, my daughter at school were asked to read the "Running on Waves". Mindful that such a book we had, I climbed up to look for her. Found handed doche, she opened it and suddenly fell out the envelope. Plain old envelope earlier when letter writing such often used instead of tabs. The sender of a certain Bruce Dale (Bruce Dale), was listed as the recipient of my late father in law. Even more attracted my attention a Washington address, whose name seemed familiar: someone National Geographic Society, all probably know this magazine or television channel. Not a bad way, the channel itself look with pleasure.

Will be 77 photos





In the envelope was found a letter, dated November 18, 1971. Typewriter printed on thick glossy paper with water marks of the magazine National Geographic. Content was that this Bruce Dale, a staff photographer sends my father-in-some slides discussing their technical parameters, and reports that his book about Gypsies was published last December.



In addition to the letter were attached three slides, I digitized and attach:
Such retro photos always evoke me a little bit sad and philosophical thought of the ruthlessness of the time. We probably will never know who these people were sitting at the table.



Or what they think this girl with such beautiful enormous eyes that certainly appeals to many men.



I think that pictures are made in Hungary, where in-law traveled turputevku from Intourist.
And, most likely, in Budapest, according to the first picture. This winter I did a few days vyalilsya already eating from noon Tokay in a similar restaurant on Vaci utca. It was February, out of season, and the restaurant violinist playing in an empty room for me alone. He began, naturally, with czardas, but later learned that I was from Russia played me all known tunes. Despite the comical situations, look for another place I was too lazy, and some days I honestly listened to everything - from "Katyusha" to "Let run clumsily ...».

Pretzel with a glass of the third slide is, in fact, is precisely my father in law, a former photojournalist Tyumen newspaper chronicles, suddenly deceased in 1997.



Of course, I'm a little surprised. What the letter from America in the years of stagnation? At the height of the Cold War? Then could well what some of the dogs is hung. Apparently so, and it kept the letter in the book, but did not lie with the other papers and archive photos that remained after the test.
My surprise and everything would be over, if I did not zaguglit Bruce Dale, National Geographic. Internet has given me a lot of references to the combination, and the first was a reference to the personal page of Bruce Dale, who, as it turned out, alive and well and currently residing happily in West Virginia.

I still thought it was interesting, and I sent a photo of his elektronku slide, which was on the site, accompanied by the text of the letter that I found forty-two years later, after he sent it. A few days later, Bruce replied. Wrote that these pictures and he remembered vaguely remembered some Russian photographer, with whom he had once talked. But where was he, alas, can not remember. I do not want, they say, to offend, he wrote, but for thirty years in the National Geographic, I traveled almost eighty countries, making hundreds of thousands of photos, of course, it's not to keep in mind. Here he is, by the way.



Well, more about it later, I'll start with a story about the test, but so far to little dive in the seventies, to complete the picture a small sampling of the events of '71:

Thus, 1971-th.

In the USSR adopted the ninth five-year plan, which envisages a growth in output of consumer goods and began premiere of the TV series "The investigation leading experts».

Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and President of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR Podgorny officially open the Aswan High Dam. To live up to his assassination Sadat was still exactly ten years.

In the parliamentary elections in India's win with overwhelming advantage
wins the Indian National Congress led by Indira Gandhi. She was killed later in the 84 th ....

In the GDR, Erich Honecker, the future partner of our dear Leonid Ilyich's famous kiss, succeeds Walter Ulbricht as First Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany.

Three British soldiers who were on leave, were killed in a beer bar near Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Britain to expel 105 Soviet officials suspected of spying, and the then Minister of Education Margaret Thatcher cancels the free distribution of milk in primary schools. This and other similar measures, to some extent explain the recent behavior of the people that went after her death with posters "Hurrah! Witch died, fuck my childhood! ».

The US announced the devaluation of the dollar by 7, 9 percent, which leads to changes in rates of all major currencies. Broadway premiere of the musical «Jesus Christ Superstar», and Sylvester Stallone began his career by playing a guy who robs Woody Allen in his film "Bananas".

In the USSR, another world away not too revered peoples of the former first secretary of the CPSU Central Committee Nikita Khrushchev and the future is born a popular favorite murderer - Danila Bagrov, he is Sergei Bodrov Jr.

France ends its vivid way of life of Coco Chanel, fashion designer, vnёsshaya significant contribution to the development of fashion in the XX century. Also in Paris, leaving behind poems, songs and numerous claims of paternity, it finds its last refuge rampant bully and leader of the musical group The Doors, Jim Morrison.
Apart from him in the same year, the music world lost when Louis Armstrong, the great singer and jazz musician.

The company Intel launches its first microprocessor - model 4004.

Yes, quite a while .... I was two years old, and most readers will probably still not been.

Nevertheless, I continue.

First, about the test. He was, without exaggeration, the golden hands. He was one of those who is popularly known as "craftsman." In addition to the photography he could work with wood, metal, glass, plastic, embossed on leather, glue any thing and so much more able. But photography was his main hobby.



Probably be in the years of his youth was a camera in some way cool. It's now in every family there are several, not including phones and tablets, which you can also shoot



And then it was considered a matter of serious photography. Here, for example, a photo, make the dough in the sixties in Tyumen.



But its downside. Notice how all the lurid details.



I personally do believe that with the advent of figures picture as an art form, unfortunately, died. Or, at least, I have lost a lot. Old photos can tell what it was a giant work. Choose the right view, plan, focus, perspective, consider the interplay of light and shadows, etc.

Now, on the one hand, like this area is developing. But somehow everything changed. Maybe because now the level of practically any gadget allows you to do everything automatically. Everything suddenly became photographers, with definitely talented. Well it is now so easy - buy ayfoshu - all you Tarkovsky, at least. There was a lot of photography schools and courses that, in principle, is not surprising - the considerable business and technology is good is expensive. There are thousands across the planet fools with DSLRs and actually believe in their own creativity.

What is still really, around a bunch of photosites, manage to spread and read the laudatory comments friends ...
I've noticed that even had their pictures after a holiday or revised - thousands of them, at first glance zamylivaetsya hundred. A leaf through old photo albums with pleasure.

After the test, there was a set of pictures and films, many of which were made during zagranpoezdok in Soviet times, when he was able to visit in Hungary, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Finland, France. A series of his French retro pictures are still my favorite.



Here he is on the background of the Eiffel Tower and the Paris Opera. I remember the poems about the then Soviet tourists:

We went to the Opera
We took the package oyster
Oysters eaten in the room
Using screwdrivers



But images taken by them in the same places:



Here he is in the Paris Museum d, Orsay. He opened his mouth, he saw Van Gogh.



Parisian street artist of the time.



The famous "Maxim", one of the legendary Parisian character, until recently host to a Marcel Proust, Edith Piaf and Marlene Dietrich. And Mare with her life companion Cocteau Onassis and Maria Callas to have her not marrying, despite her unrequited love for him, for which she even swallowed the worms to lose weight.

Now this place gilding faded considerably. In the fall we looked to his wife, but there is no bohemian, of course, did not see. The tables were mostly Asians, hung with linoleum Louis Vuitton bags, with greedy hope of surveying every newcomer and just in case it secretly photographing.



But the cafe «Paix» where we are, with bated breath, the Franks went on past with the future wife in the early nineties. That thing next to the Opera, where Zola had sat still with Maupassant, many persons of royal estates, and Diaghilev with Tchaikovsky, who in modern France would have had every right to declare himself a pair. If mutual affection, of course.

I remember that the money we have time enough for two cakes and a tiny coffee we tried in turn. However, then we remember this event for a long time, it seemed, we gained access to some unattainable world of luxury. As correctly observed at the time Picasso - no matter whether you become a millionaire, it is important to live like a millionaire.



Now I remember with a smile, those first trip to Paris, where, having bought a bunch of cheap barahlyandii in Tati, we proudly displayed at home acquaintance pink plaid bags and generally considered themselves connoisseurs of French life. Later, in the late nineties, when I had one winter prouchitsya in France, that it became really clear, as opposed to a tourist sight.

Just genre scenes on the streets of Paris.



...



...



...



Aunt middle of the last photo reminded:



Similar? No wonder we are always copied Parisian fashion, as France then please everybody, though been there at that time unit.

The lucky ones who visited at that time in Paris, is automatically equated, at least to the astronauts. In Tyumen, where the Baltic seemed abroad, stories about Paris seemed something deeply goose. Personally, I had a chance to listen to them from my French teacher. According to its enthusiastic narrations about Paris, she went all in from the small ants around her splendor around her enchanting shining lights permanently played the accordion, and a gentle breeze blew over the Seine tirelessly on her face to the sounds of bewitching music of the bells of Notre Dame Cathedral. All around struck her imagination, she always managed to breathe the wonderful aroma, every street had a sandwich for her bliss, and eclair on a half franc ... it just breaks.

I think that in some way so it was, because it was still that France, and we all wanted to see, and are accustomed to the films, books, songs, etc.

Now, alas, everything has changed. Although it happened by the standards of history recently, but it is clear that the one we are familiar with France, it will be gone. Not everywhere will sound known songs Montana and Charles Aznavour will not be subtle men in berets with a baguette under his arm as passionate women with bangs Mireille Mathieu. Ie it is still to some extent is present, but not to the extent as we used to think about them, coming to the Middle East now, in fact, the city.

I myself, spending the last few years in Paris almost every year, surprised the come changes. It is understood the Arabs, it is understood the problem, but the more I was struck contemporary French youth. Some of its amorphousness and lack of initiative. The whole generation of completed Emo chmoshnikov. All have a disaster, any problem for them to a dead end. The water was hot cut down, everything - Greek tragedy. These zadroty immediately dragged to the psychoanalyst to complain how they feel bad, because they turned off the hot water and now they are very, very bad, etc. What's so surprising last "little blue" laws to lobby the current president ... Even reluctant to write about it ......

Then the test was in a completely different country.



In those days it was all negros unusual.



In recent years he has worked as a photographer at the Tyumen medical equipment factory. He died not yet old pensioner, what helped him a lot of alcohol, to which he became addicted with time. I think it was a kind of reaction to what he saw in trips abroad. As Vysotsky who vomit the first time faced with the Munich sausage showcase. Too strong a contrast upon returning home.

Approximately like Alexander III bridge in Paris with the old, wooden bridge More through our tour.



Do not misunderstand me. I am personally ready to spit in the face to those who say that in the years of stagnation lived poorly and how great that we gained access to Western values. In social terms, we lived very well. Remember - the formation of a gift, the gift of the doctors, the garden will give, housing (even hostel) will, without work will not stay, etc ... And I would like to once again find yourself in the time between people were largely normal human relationships. Yet, in comparison to the West at that time we did not have what we have now and do not notice - personal freedom. But fully enough Soviet seryatiny and pretentious.

Now Bruce Dale. I'll just call him Bruce, firstly, it is generally un-American, and secondly, we'd still have met ...

Here's the cover of the book itself on the Roma that is mentioned in the letter, and at the same time one of the images in-law was published in "Komsomolskaya Pravda" circulation which, by the way, at that time was twenty-two more than a million copies, which is several times more than the circulation of the magazine «National Geographic ».



As I mentioned, for thirty years, Bruce Dale has worked exclusively for National Geographic. Twice in the magazine, he earned the title of "Photographer of the Year»

For thirty years he traveled nearly eighty countries and more than 2,000 of his images have been published and are published in National Geographic. China alone, he visited more than ten times.



Source:

Tags

See also

New and interesting