Dutch photographer Ed van der Elsken arrived in Paris in 1950, where he met his “soul mates” in a group of bohemians from Saint-Germain-des-Prés. In the manner of a diary, he photographed each of their movements, particularly those of the beautiful redheaded Vali Myers.
Van der Elsken’s raw, gritty, and intimate style perfectly captured Myers’s unconventional spirit and the vibrant yet challenging life of artists and outsiders in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés quarter. His photographs of her helped cement her image as a muse and a symbol of the era’s counterculture. Many of these photographs date from the early to mid-1950s, showcasing Myers in various settings, from cafes and streets to more intimate portraits.
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