The caption to this photograph by Tim Kantor (from Camera Magazine (February/March 1961) says 'this study reveals a solitude that is bereft of inner space..these young faces are haunting, searching and dissatisfied.' The photo was taken at a now defunct Greenwich Village Coffee House called "The Couch". Apparently these girls were vying for the title of Miss Bohemia and, when the photo was taken, were 'listening to instructions on how to behave on stage'.
This image brought to mind my younger years spent working in an inner city all-night cafe which shall remain nameless (the only all-night joint in those days - it seems quaint to think of that fact now). When I went for the interview, the owner's wife, a chain-smoking blonde with eyes like black marbles, said: 'Would you be willing to work midnight to 8.30 every Friday and Saturday night?' I said 'No, I'd really rather not'. 'So, we'll see you at midnight this Friday,' she said, changing the roster with a flourish of her biro and a face like flint.
And that was that. Surprised that anyone would employ a hopeless kook like me AT ALL, I was in no position to argue, and worked those very shifts (known as the Milkie Shift (short for milk-run) for four and a half years.
It was a real eye-opener for an over-sensitive, 18 year old hot-house flower like me. 90% of the customers were pissed as newts (i.e. drunk, for my American friends). 50% came in looking for a barney with wait-staff, cruising to take out their aggression which may have been sparked by yet another stressful late-shift dealing with fuckhead customers, a solitary night on the prowl or any number of slights or miseries that may have occurred during the working week.
And then there was the parade of regular nighthawks, many of whom I will always remember fondly for the sympathy and respect they showed the harrassed wait-staff - hookers, pushers, streeties, nutters, artistic souls, loners - who gave way on early Sunday morning to the scarily exuberant Church youth groups - with a bizarre changing of the guard at about 6am when the air was filled with the sounds of hymn-singing and post-alcohol wretching..
During that time, I started to collect anything that interested me off the tables. I've kept those scraps in a box since about 1991, and decided to share some of them here. There are plenty more where this came from. Feel free to view them as being as meaningful or as meaningless as you see fit...and yes, that rather unfortunate drawing of a woman with sausage like legs does have the name of conceptual artist Jenny Holzer written above it. A long story.
This is a great collection of found objects. Have you thought about returning to the same place and leaving a mysterious note of your own so some newer, younger athousandshadesoftwilight could add it to their collection?
Posted by: Ralphie | July 22, 2008 at 03:13 PM
Ralphie, dear, unfortunately I have not been able to set foot in that accursed joint since quitting in a fit of pique well over 15 years ago. I often walk past it on my way to the train station, though, and am delighted to say that it still has exactly the same decor that it had in the early 90s. Which was exactly the same decor it had in the 1970s when it first began...
That said, I am all for mysterious notes of any description!
Posted by: a thousand shades of twilight | July 22, 2008 at 10:52 PM
That first real job when you're still wet behind the ears... It's a real shock to the system. (Mine was at Cliff's Variety store on Castro Street.) What a good idea to collect stray things. Favorites:
The photos, especially of the kids. Heartbreaking.
The "Jennie Holzer" drawing. The real J.H. seems to be a woman with a sly sense of humor, so I bet she'd be amused.
"See thru waitresses" - wouldn't that be odd and confusing!
"Jello Wrestling, for all social club and sporting functions." Because who doesn't enjoy a good Jello wrestle, whether it's at a soccer game or a book club meeting?
and finally, poor "Angelique/Shannon" and her identity crisis. French hooker or Australian Everygirl, what shall I be today?
All so great and so expressive of you.
Posted by: Elizabeth | July 23, 2008 at 02:13 PM
Ha! Thanks for your comments, Eliz!:) What was Cliff's Variety Store like? I still feel like a fraud in the workplace and am waiting to be exposed as such. Actually, the only thing that really drives me at work is a deep sense of insecurity. If it wasn't for that driving me, I would probably loll about drinking cocktails all day and wouldn't get anything done!
I particularly like your point about the Jello wrestling - I take it the Old Age Pensioners Lawn Bowls Xmas break up would count? Yes, I thought it was a bit rough that Shannon had to re-use Angelique's card...
Jenny Holzer was a big influence on me in my younger days but I have sort of lost track of her - you're right about her sense of humour!
Posted by: a thousand shades of twilight | July 23, 2008 at 09:35 PM