Originally Posted by
Hugo Zhang
I had two missed calls and a voicemail from Antoinette, a gallery manager who works for John, when I got back noontime from my morning errands. I listened to her voicemail and got the sad news that John passed away.
John's family remembers that I took some pictures of John a few years and asks if I can give them some copies for his memorial services and newspapers.
Of course I have fond momeries of John. I met him four years ago when I had my show at his Bistango restaurant/gallery. He asked me to set up my camera at the opening. I did that with my 11x14 camera. Everybody came to me to ask questions about the fancy wooden camera and I was all smiles.
When the crowd thinned a bit, I asked John if he would like me to take his and his daughter's pictures. It would not take long, 15-20 minutes. He obliged. I moved my camera back to the empty hall and quickly put my Packard shutterbox and Universal-Heliar 42cm lens on the front. I worked quickly and exposed eight sheets of 8x10 films.
Here is my favorite. I could see so much written on this face.
A short story about John: he escaped Iran during that country's revolution and started his restaurant business first in Paris, then in southern California. Quite successful with a few fancy restaurants freqeunted by local business people. He worked all his life until his late 70's. His daughter jokingly asked me during one of my visits if I could teach him photography so he had something interesting to occupy his time. A warmhearted old man.
RIP, John.
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