Jacob Holdt - my friends


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Lela Taylor was my very dear friend for 47 years. I met her and her neighbor friend Sandra Johnson on the streets of Manhattan on July 1st, 1973 and she insisted on inviting me home for dinner right away. I ended up staying with her and her two children almost for a week in their apartment in Astoria, Queens. I absolutely fell in love with her two daughters seen below, Brenda and Wanda (also seen here). Since then I came back to see them almost every year - usually bringing with me Danish friends and my own family (such as my son in 1986 below) . Often her family appeared in my Tv documentaries just as Lela's oldest daughter, Brenda (3rd picture below) is in American Pictures.  Lela's joy, fun, energy, hospitality and insistence on cooking gigantic meals - no matter what time I showed up day or night - was absolutely unforgettable.
She had a bleeding heart also caring for many people in need and trouble around her.
However, April 2nd 2020 the Corona epidemic took the life of Lela - almost 80 years old.

Other photo albums:

Lela often took me to her friends gatherings in joy and sorrow. Here you can see my photos from:
Robert Yard's wedding         and        Stephen Williams' funeral

On video:

Lela had to be experienced live. See her talk about how we met at her Thanksgiving dinner 1991 uncut from the movie "Jacob Holdt in America". And 21 years later giving Søren Pind - one of the most rightwing "law and order" Danish politicians - a lesson on her own far more hardhitting aproach to law and order.
Also see how Lela opens my movie American Pictures.
 

       
1973-07-01_01022 1973-07-01_0518 1973-07-01_05215 1973-07-01_08142
1973-07-01_01022   1973-07-01_0518   1973-07-01_05215   1973-07-01_08142  
1973-07-01_08243 1973-07-01_09996 1973-07-01_10058 1973-07-01_10059
1973-07-01_08243   1973-07-01_09996   1973-07-01_10058   1973-07-01_10059  
1973-07-01_11200 1973-07-01_11201 1973-07-01_11202 1973-07-01_11203
1973-07-01_11200   1973-07-01_11201   1973-07-01_11202   1973-07-01_11203  
1973-07-01_11204 1973-07-03_08141 1973-07-03_08154 1973-07-03_08183
1973-07-01_11204   1973-07-03_08141   1973-07-03_08154   1973-07-03_08183  
1973-07-03_08187 1973-07-03_08197 1973-07-03_08198 1986-01-28_15077
1973-07-03_08187   1973-07-03_08197   1973-07-03_08198   1986-01-28_15077  
1986-01_28_15068 1986-01_28_15116 1986-01_28_15121 1986-01_28_15122
1986-01_28_15068   1986-01_28_15116   1986-01_28_15121   1986-01_28_15122  
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