Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Elevator Redux

Great post on the SFMOMA blog about the 15-year-old subject in Robert Frank’s 1955 Elevator—Miami Beach photograph. Kerouac closed his intro to Frank’s book, The Americans, with a remark on this picture:
“And I say: That little ole lonely elevator girl looking up sighing in an elevator full of blurred demons, what’s her name & address?”
It’s Sharon Collins, Pac Heights, SF, but no one knew till she saw the picture in the paper this year and rang the museum. You can see a reconstruction of the shot in 2009—as poignant in its way—here (scroll down a little. I could swear that’s Lauren Shufran at the far right).

3 comments:

et said...

don't call her she'll call you, Jack

rodney k said...

Hi Elizabeth,

I know, it's more than a little slimy to use a book's intro to hit on a teen. The SFMOMA post has Sharon explaining she was passing herself off as 18 that summer in order to get the job. Not to let Jack off the hook ...

suzanne said...

not lauren shufran, but one of the PR gals, Robyn

thanks for always looking in at the blog, Rodney

xo