110
Smile
May2016
50s
AND
FABULOUS
EVERYYEAR,AGROUPOF
SYDNEYSIDERSGATHERS
TORELIVETHEGLAMOROF
THEROCK ’N’ROLLDECADE.
PHOTOGRAPHERJAMES
HORANCAPTURESTHE
NOSTALGICFUN
Dressupandgo
T
heFiftiesFairat theSydneyLiving
Museums (sydneylivingmuseums.
com.au), oneof several events that the
museumorganizes, isanannual shindig
that lets itsretro-lovingparticipantsstepback
in time.Foroneday,womendonpetticoats, tight
sweaters, glovesandhats,whilemen turnup in
fedoras, bowlingshirtsandsaddleshoes tograce
the fair.
Held inAustralia’s iconicmid-centuryRose
SeidlerHouse—whichstillhasall itsoriginal
furnitureandfixtures inplace—activities
includedancing to liverock ’n’ rollmusic, viewing
thevintagecarsondisplay, gourmetdining,
andshopping for1950s fashion, furnitureand
memorabilia.Tosuit theoccasion, visitorscanalso
get theirhairdoneà laMarilynMonroeorJames
Deanbystylistsspecializing invintagecoiffures.
“I love thateveryoneattendingmakesahuge
effort,”saysSydney-basedphotographerJames
Horan,whohasbeencommissioned tocover the
event twice. “Everyonespendshourson theirhair,
makeupand tailor-madeoutfits— they love itwhen
youshoot them.”
Maybe these folksareseriouslypassionateabout
thepast.TheBestDressedawards thatareup for
grabscouldbeanother incentive.Forwhatever
reason they’re there, theyall seem tohaveablast—
and the fun isevident fromHoran’sphotos. Ithelps
thatoneofhis favoritepastimes ispeoplewatching.
His fathershowedhimhow touseanoldCanon
AE-1cameraandaMamiyaCC30, andhebecame
hooked from thatmomenton. “All Iwanted todo
wasphotographpeople,”hesays.
Horanhasnowbeena full-timephotographer
since1998.Hisworkhasbeen featured in
TheNew
YorkTimes,TheWallStreetJournal,TheSydney
MorningHerald,TheAustralian,Maxim
magazine
and
Reader’sDigest,
tonamea few.Buthefinds
randomencounters farmore fulfillingassubjects
thancelebrities.
“Recently,my familyspentamonth inAmerica
onvacation.Oncemydaughterwasasleep, I
wanderedoff looking for interestingpeople to
shoot,”saysHoran. “When Ihave timeoff frommy
assignments, this iswhat I really lovedoing.”
TEXTBY
MAYACALICA-COLLINS
