My friend Charlotte
This documentary photo essay explores what it means to live, age, and die in the City of Angels.
I met Charlotte in 2017 when she responded to my Craig’s List ad.
“Seeking portrait photo subject to test out a vintage camera. Email me.”
She was the only one who responded. She said: “I am interested in having my portrait taken. And some might say that I’ve lived a pretty interesting life.”
What was meant to be a one-time meet-up became regular hang outs. I met Charlotte’s friends, family, and overtime she revealed to me the sacrifices she was making to continue to live in Los Angeles in her 70s. Sacrifices included driving for Uber, living out of her storage unit, and relying on old friends.
Charlotte was 72 when we met, but her spirit was more like 27. I was 27.
We spent a lot of time thrifting, eating Thai food, going to hairband shows in West Hollywood establishments, and driving around aimlessly in between her Uber shifts.
Charlotte spent her 20s onward in Los Angeles and made money as a professional dancer and realtor. She modeled and won contests. She was friends with Redd Foxx, and she saw John Belushi the night he died.
She had three sons.
One place Charlotte loved to hang out was her best friends’ fur vault in Beverly Hills. There she would chat with old LA-based friends and meet new ones.
We also had a watch party at the vault to witness her appearance on Judge Judy where she was the plaintiff settling a dispute with an old roommate (above right).
In 2018, Charlotte received a stage four cancer diagnosis. The Hollywood fantasy was tapered by the reality of mortality.
“At least you’ve been documenting my life,” she told me.
After months of bouncing between friends’ homes and depending on her storage unit, Charlotte was able to secure a luxury apartment in Marina del Rey as her last stop. The apartment was a place of her own where she could rest.
Charlotte’s last few days were spent at St. John’s Health Center in Santa Monica.
Charlotte died of cancer on June 29, 2019. She was surrounded by her sons and her friends.
