June Newton, renowned under her photographic
pseudonym Alice Springs, takes the reader on an
extraordinary journey from her childhood in
Australia, via work and travels with her husband
Helmut Newton, to life today in Monaco and
Los Angeles.
The photographs by and of Springs featured
throughout the book - a wonderful contemporary
mix of personal snapshots and professional
portraits of creative figures including
Yves Saint Laurent, Gore Vidal, Balthus, Robert
Mapplethorpe, Brassaï, Nicole Kidman, and
Anjelica Huston - illustrate the story of her life,
in which the houses and apartments where she
has lived stand as milestones. Her previously
unpublished diary extracts and her new writing
are lit up by gentle irony, disarming honesty,
and a photographer's eye for telling detail. Intensely
personal and engaging, this book charts
a remarkable 20th-century woman's journey
through life.
"It was during dinner one evening just before
the first publication of my photographs that
Helmut asked me what name I intended to
use. Jean Seberg and her Spanish boyfriend,
Ricardo, were among the guests and Ricardo...
asked for an atlas which I produced. He
opened it to the map of Australia, asked for a
pin, told me to shut my eyes and aim. The pin
landed at the center of The Continent - Alice
Springs. `There's your name,' he said."
