Lennon Contact 6-

John's work for peace was right up there with other great men for PEACE.. Wow, that was quite a moment you got to be involved in.

Fabulous !!!!!!!

December 22, 1969 I was hired to photograph John and Yoko at the press conference held in the Chateau Champlain Hotel. Later the same day, I was one of the two photographers to cover a radio interview in a private CN train car at Montreal's Central Station.

A job of a photographer is to capture meaningful images that tell all that is needed to communicate a story to the observer.

In the case of my pictures of Lennon and Ono, a few words will help to set up the story.

Around 1:00 PM on Monday December 22, 1969, I got a call from a photographer who asked if I was available to take photos of John Lennon at a 6 PM. press conference at the Chateau Champlain. There was a snow storm at the time and the roads were shut down preventing my friend of ever having a chance to drive from Dorval to downtown Montreal where my studio in the Place Bonaventure was located and where I happened to be at the time. The end client was a radio station who had hired my friend and also sent a reporter to tape the press conference and later, to interview John and Yoko in their private train car at Montreal's Central Station. I took photos at a press conference attended by dozens of reporters and other photographers then in the train car where the radio station's reporter and just one other photographer from Time/Life magazine by the name of Jerry Deiter.

My pictures were shot on 2.5" film with my Hasselblad camera. I mention the camera only to assure you the original photos were of much better quality that what I can show or reproduce now.

After the photos taken in the train car, I rushed back to my studio at Place Boneventure, developed and dried the negatives then made contact sheets which I kept. I didn't have time to make prints as well since I had to rush the negs to the client for them to get them in a press release for a newspaper advert.

Thanks so much for the wonderful auto biographical remembrance of such a unique experience... I enjoyed your recollection emensily (I can't spel)

The contact sheet reproductions are fantastic. I hope more people get to see these rare photos.. and I thank you for posting them.. John Lennon is one of my great heros ..a Prince of Peace Your exceptional photos contribute to his memory...