I went crazy trying to find animals for this shoot-- especially the cheetah. The cheetah that ended up being used was a "plush cheetah sculpture" handcrafted and painted by artists at Hansa Toys. Before finding this life-size wildcat substitute, I was put in contact with a man named Larry Wallach who lives in East Rockaway and wrangles wild cats and other exotic animals. He literally has tigers in his back yard, and had even recently rescued an albino kangaroo from a coke dealing ring who were hiding blow in its pouch!
COKE-A-ROO!
Some may remember the national news story about the man who was keeping a 500 lb Bengal tiger in his apartment, and Larry the "Tiger Man" was the one who helped rescue the cat.
Here's a news story about Larry Wallach AKA "Tiger Man" and one of the biggest characters I've ever had the pleasure to speak with.
This kind of stuff is why I loved working at a fashion mag with a decent budget for shoots! Speaking of fashion, see below for some of the inspirational shots of Marchesa Casati used for the shoot. Just like the animals she so loved, she was a dangerous creature--Sadly most of all to herself.
Joseph Rous Paget-Fredericks (As seen on the cover of Marchesa's biography Infinite Variety)
At the Ball of Famous Paintings 1935 Man Ray
Paul Poiret with model
1922 Man Ray Portrait
1912 Baron de Meyer
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1 comment:
If people are looking for a place to buy the Hansa stuffed animals, check out Landbridge Toys:
www.landbridgetoys.com
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