My Summer with Eddie - Volume One

A two volume set consisting of a series of B&W photographs from the summer of 1979 showing legendary bank robber Eddie Dodson and friends outside his shop on Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, California. The images are chronologically sequenced into fictional short stories. The stories explore a dream realm between comic strips and old school Coronet filmstrips.

From 1973-1984 Eddie Dodson ran an antique/furniture shop located at 7552 Melrose Ave. This place became a Hollywood hangout as artists of every stripe found their way to DODSON'S. The "A" list mixed with the hipoisie for long afternoons and during his special invitation all night parties. Being the 1970s, drugs were a big part of the scene. In the early years psychedelics, cannabis, quaaludes, and cocaine, were the drugs of choice. In 1979 after the fall of the Shah of Iran, there was a shift towards opiates, as cheap heroin flooded LA. Eddie dabbled, then dug in deep with heroin. By 1983 he was a full blown heroin addict with a cocaine problem. In an effort to support his lifestyle Eddie started robbing banks. Before it was over he robbed 72 banks, a world record for a single bank robber. Eddie died in February 2003. He was 54 years old.

This two volume set depicts a more carefree time, the summer of 1979, when Eddie was still the coolest guy with the hippest shop on Melrose.

These short stories show a wide range of influences from the photo books of Ed Ruscha to Ralph Gibson, Duane Michals, and Ralph Eugene Meatyard.

Volume One covers July 19- August 5, 1979. Volume Two covers August 6- August 30, 1979.