1970s

1970

still life

One of the 23rd Street studio's first big jobs was the construction of a 20-foot by 30-foot model city of the future, put together by Kathy McMasters and Tom Allen to show off winning entries in the Armco Steel "Student Design Program." It was a PR program put together by Geoff Nightingale at Burson Marsteller.

1970

car&driver

Gene Butera, art director at Car & Driver gave me my first big break and he just let me do my thing..., which over time involved more and more effects. I worked my ass off for page rate but loved every minute (still do).

1970

car&driver

Gene Butera, my AD at Car & Driver magazine, taught me a lot... he was as much a mentor as a client. I asked how he got his radical ideas past "the Board." He told me he'd take his favorite layout and make two more... one way more rad and one a real dozer. He'd take the radical one upstairs and they'd tell him he'd gone too far. Then he'd take in the dozer and they'd say he over-reacted. Finally, he'd take in his original idea and they'd say: "perfect."

1970

nikon world

Nikon World magazine made a six-page spread about “Atomicolor.” After that it was much easier to sell the wild-colored images... and it got even easier as the world went “psychedelic.” I had carefully studied infra-red photography and knew exactly which filters did what, predictably and repeatedly. Such assurances combined with a range of different colors contributed to the success of “Atomicolor.”

1970

nikon world

Another image from Nikon World's 1970 spread on Douglas Mesney's "Atomicolor" shots.

1971

penthouse

Car & Driver exposure led to more challenging assignments for Penthouse magazine, like this Bricklin “road test” piece. Michael Parish and I did this Bricklin shoot at one of my old favorite car locations, Farber Limestone in Franklin, NJ. I shot for them for a couple of years until Michael and Jim Goode moved on. By then I was into AV and I let the print work go. At this point my infrared look had caught on and my work was dominated by effects... a trend hard to tame.

1971

penthouse

Penthouse started using me for stuff besides cars, and I felt my career finally starting to move in a new direction. Assignments like these made me a bit controversial, but as they say: “I don’t care what you say... spell my name right.” My exposure in Penthouse built my reputation and gave my sales rep, Sue Keeton, easier access to bigger art directors.

1971

sue keaton

Sue Keeton really wanted to be a model, I think, and she could have been good at it. Instead she repped the studio for a couple of years and modeled in portfolio stuff. Her friend, Ben Fabre, was generous with his time as a model for some of my strange-character shots. He also had a VIP table at Hippopotamus, a top disco where we spent many snowy evenings.

1971

dona

Dona Tracy finishing some photos in the 73rd Street studio.

1972

dona

The stairway at 73rd Street was our “long and winding road” when the lift went on the fritz.

1972

fireplace

At the 73rd Street studio putting together an EJA annual report.

1972

watering plants

Early days at 73rd Street... before the projectors ate the plants....

1972

early days

Early days at 73rd Street doing a four-projector portfolio show for Peters Place, a hair salon in Great Neck. Fred Cannizaro had just come on board as Forox camera operator and his brother, Cesare, worked for Peter as a style director. The programming was done on an AVL Acutone and although it was simple, it caught the eye of Jack Shor at Clairol.

1972

throne room

In the throne room... by Dona Tracy

1972

arab wings

Together with Don O'Neill, I made several trips to Amman, Jordan, shooting pictures for both Alia Royal Jordanian Airlines as well as their sister fleet of executive jets called Arab Wings.

1972

Diego

During a Clairol shoot in Boston, with Diego Messina, we got snowed in and to provide some "entertainment" I finally relinquished and let him cut my hair.

1972

fritz

Fritz the cat, long-suffering studio mascot at 73rd street.

1972

ghost ship

Eclipses and galaxies were very much in vogue at the time, and fit my dark style. However, each new image was a major undertaking combining airbrush and strip-in techniques and there was a limited market for such work. The first gas crisis created a recession that devastated the publishing market for photographers. Meanwhile, companies like Audio Visual Laboratories introduced machines that enabled slide shows… my career sailed off on a new course...multi-image.

1972

boat show

The original poster made for the National Boat Show in New York (left) and the 1973 version. Tom Rydinger was the art director, Pete Tenney was the account exec, and George Rounds was our client contact at NAEBM. We handled all the promotional graphics for several years and I made my very first slide show for an NAEBM meeting in Bermuda.

1972

image

This reflection on polished stainless steel was shot in an Armco Steel plant on assignment for Geoff Nightingale at the Burson Marsteller agency. Geoff and his cohort/partner Don O’Neill became my #1 client... and one could say that Incredible Slidemakers was the “house that Don built.” Don and I were inseparable for half a decade and some of my very best work was done for Geoff and him.

1972

roy kramer

Kay Epstein, who ran an art gallery on the floor below us on 73rd Street, introduced me to Roy Kramer. He became my accountant... and in a way he still is, since Ronnie Goldstein, his former assistant, continues to do my books.

1972

US Intrepid

The Americas Cup contender “Intrepid” featured a boom made of Dupont graphite. They wanted to show how strong it was... but the day I got the boat to shoot there was hardly a breeze. After flopping about for hours, the sails momentarily filled. Using a #29 (red) filter gave a graphic look the art director loved.

1972

hair

Sporting an Einstein coif which became a trademark, sort of, I was probably on assignment for Car & Driver magazine when this was shot, as they were a mainstay client until the following year.

1972

xmas

Dona and I celebrated Christmas with a tree lit by real candles.

1973

Damien_Angie

Dona’s kids, Angela & Damien in the 73rd Street studio.

1973

dona doug

With Dona Tracy (at the time, Dona Plink) at 73rd Street

1973

dona angie

Dona and daughter Angie in the 73rd Street studio

1973

heading out

Heading out of the 73rd Street studio, portfolio in hand.

1973

xmas

When the Almighty invented angels, Ed Just was the prototype. For years his mirror-finished-foil Christmas wrappings were a “trademark” of the studio.

1973

aunt frances

A rare family visit with Mom and a late Aunt, Frances Taylor, shot by Dona Tracy.

1973

annual cover

Annual report cover for EJA -- Executive Jet Aviation.

1973

paul tibbets

Recognize this man? It's Paul Tibbets who commanded the "Enola Gay" and dropped the bomb on Hiroshima. I shot this portrait for EJA's annual report.

1973

falcon

Without question the "high" point in my career were the years spent with Don O'Neill shooting airplanes. The primo assignment was shooting Falcons over the Grand Canyon from the tricked-out Talmantz Aviation photo plane. Hanging out the tail cone I could even use a fisheye lens without obstructions. The upper right shot is an original, not an "assembly."

1973

joy of sex

Doug & Dona pose for an Escapade magazine book review.

1973

It’s Mom... at our Aunt Frances Taylor's apartment.

1973

doug

My movie star looks compliments of Dona Tracy....

1973

moose

Originally called “Bandit” by breeder Doug Fisher, the nickname that stuck was "Moose"..."Mister Moose." He became the studio mascot and when he got a bit older we got him a friend... "Coco," short for "Chocolate Moose."

1973

piper

Piper Aircraft were a favorite subject. Don O’Neill and I logged a lot of time in Lockhaven and Vero Beach shooting air-to-air.

1973

pissing

Who could resist having a shot like this on their website? It's a grab shot by Don O’Neill while on location at the Goodyear test track in Laredo. It seems to be pissing me off (hah hah).

1973

studio

Studio family portrait: Dona Tracy and I with Tom Rydinger & wife Flo Fox, and their son Ronnie, taken at the 23 East 73rd studio.

1974

portrait

This odd portrait of me is one that I love shot by Dona Tracy. Whether purely serendipitous or not, it captures the spirit of its epoch and my youth. The seeds of later-life’s ennui are sown in youthful exhaustion created by artistic endeavor and the pursuit of perfection. The little tag indicates that we used the shot in an Escapade magazine article, on page 9. Escapade was big client for a while…Tom Rydinger and I packaged up the whole magazine monthly. The owner said: “I need big tits, not big design.”

1974

burger king

Setting-up a Burger King show in Chattenooga, Tennessee... it was a “pep-rallye” show to motivate the kids that flipped the burgers. We toured all the garden spots, like Omaha, Indianapolis, Akron…. At the Minneapolis show the kids went wild, building human pyramids, and we were banned from the Municipal Auditorium.

1974

dilley texas

Don O’Neill immediately saw the potentials for AV shows and we started making shows together. We would fly all over and do documentaries on exciting subjects like... how to make better retread tires. These would be filmed at garden spots like Dilley, Texas, the self proclaimed “Watermelon Capital of the World.” Don would do the interviews and I was cameraman; we were like the dynamic duo and inseparable.

1974

dona don

Donna Tracy and Don O’Neill at a Tiki bar somewhere in Disney World.

1974

dona

No it wasn’t Halloween, just Dona Tracy modeling for another Escapade piece.

1974

doug fisher

Doug Fisher ran a publishing company and we had made a successful coffee table book about Corvettes. Here we are shooting 360-degree panoramas of Washington DC. The plan was to put one out featuring Cyclopan images. However, Jack Rankin, builder of the Cyclopan cameras, pretty much beat us to it with his own. Doug Fisher was also an Afghan hound breeder, which explains the origins of Mister Moose.

1974

mayor letter

As a promotion stunt I sent the Mayor a 12-foot-long, 360-degree panorama of New York (taken with the Cyclopan camera) in hopes it would hang in Gracie Mansion.

1974

mercerdes

Mercedes Christ got hired away from Burson-Marsteller to be my personal assistant and became the studio’s “Gal-Friday.” Here she poses for Pat Billings in a show for Simplicity Patterns.

1974

mesney

This is my favorite portrait, shot by Dona Tracy at 73rd Street.

1974

in studio

Yours truly in the studio… wonder what I was shooting, all dressed up like that.

1974

pat billings

Pat Billings running the Cincom show... she could do it all... "The little engine that could."

1974

pat and moose

Pat Billings rummaging through Burker King slides and entertaining Mr. Moose.

1974

programming

Programming at the 73rd Street studio using the AVL Show Pro II which was a punch-tape system. Everything was done by hand: timings with a stopwatch; code with holes; fixes with Scotch tape. Pat Billings did these photos before taking off with Don O”Neill and marrying Richard Shipps.

1974

sun moon

With the Cyclopan camera at Yankee Stadium shooting a rallye of Reverend Sun Myung Moon. Let’s see... 20,000 people times $15.00 per print... hmmmmmm. I suspect that Pat Shipps (at the time, Pat Billings) took this shot.

1974

talmantz

How’s this for a dream job: The client hires you to shoot Falcon Jet ads on location over the Grand Canyon. Plus, your camera platform is the same plane and crew that shot Disney’s Circle Vision 1972... Frank Tallmantz and “Lucky Lady.” It was even better than Clay Lacey’s Lerjet because with the converted bomber you could hang clear out the tail. With such unobstructed vision I was even able to use a fisheye lens... “Objects in the shot are closer than they appear.”

1974

beard

The beard didn’t last long... and losing my sense of humor was beginning to show.

1975

all night

After 5 days without any sleep at all, this is what I looked like while trying in vain to rescue a World Book sales meeting. We loaded five station wagons and headed for the airport but only four showed up... the last car to leave caught fire. “Only” 15% of it burned up... slides, program & audio tapes, machines... like upsetting only part of a jig saw puzzle. Another casualty was my relationship with Dona... that was more than 15%.

1975

don o'neill

Don O'Neill in a moment of relation between takes records Burger King at Jack Cortner studio.

1975

jan irish

Jan Irish sorting slides at the 73rd Street studio. She was my main squeeze but wanted things to get way more permanent than I was ready for, so we went our separate ways.

1975

jan irish

A couple of years after arriving at the studio (right), you'd have hardly recognized the once-demure Jan Irish breaking up during a shoot for the slide show "Bumbles."

1975

NAVA

Our NAVA stand was like a M*A*S*H tent, but people liked what they saw inside. Top: John “OC” O’Connell & Chris Hoina. Center: Doug Sloan, Jan Irish, Jon Bromberg & Fred Cannizaro. Lower: Rocky Graziano, Joey Porcelli and yours truly. Maybe the guy in the back left is Gene Demmick.

1975

NAVA stand

Peter Michael Mesney, who liked to refer to himself as “The Great Progenitor” at gatherings of family and friends.

1975

projection grid

73rd Street studio projection room. By 1975, audiovisual shows had totally usurped print work… and all the plants were long since dead of neglect and lack of sunlight.

1975

slide trays

Bart Ruggiero of Hoffman LaRoche (in suit) watches aghast as I drop his tray of speaker slides five minutes before show time. Allan Hilburg, then of Burson-Marsteller, (behind me in the pix on the right) can't keep from smiling 'cause he's in on the gag. "OC" (John O'Connell) is picking up the slidfes (right), and at least he was keeping a straight face while I keep the gag going. That kind of slapstick practical-jokery doesn't happen often enough anymore… sign of the times, I suppose. (Now the guy would probably sue y'a.)

1975

clairol

My career in the beauty business started with Fred Cannizaro's brother, Cesare who wanted a multi-projector slide-show for a hair-fashion show. The show caught the eye of Jack Shor, Clairol's PR Director, who had us do a show for America's entry in an Intercoiffure compassion in Paris. That show pretty much launched me into the fashion-world orbit. Soon we got a call from Ken Perry, then Clairol's Marketing Director, for help launching Luminize.

1975

Zotros

Ken Perry moved from Clairol over to Zotos International. His successes launching the Clairol Luminize product taught him that Bristol Meyers was too confining for his ideas. We did a big perm collection for him... the usual package of AV show(s) together with print stuff. We always did step-by-steps because those would become training tools.

1975

ardell

The late Arnold Miller loved to experiment and he encouraged everyone around him to push themselves to their limits. Arnie started life as a hairdresser, and learned the salon business from the bottom up. He teamed up with a chemist and developed a natural product called Hennaluscent, and he developed a cult following in the salon world. Arnie's enthusiasm was so convincing that once a girl with hair down to her knees let him cut most of off so he could do French twist… I was there and shot it.

1975

ardell

Arnold Miller was a dream client because of his total enthusiasm for what he did. Arnie loved the beauty business and it showed. He created two companies -- Ardell and Matrix Essentials -- and I worked for both making AV shows as well as pictures for print ads, sales aids and packaging. These shots were made for Ardell's Hennaluscent color products. I got so into it that I had a shampoo sink and salon set-up installed in the 73rd Street studio and started doing hair color as a hobby. My best was a seven-color streak.

1975

ardell

Working with Arnie Miller was like working with Gene Butera (at Car & Driver) and both loved what they did. The people who love their work usually get you to love your work for them. So you always feel challenged to do better than your last picture spread or show... well, ok, maybe that's "normal" but some people make you feel even more that way and Arnie was one of those people. We got so abstract you couldn't see the hair. But the weirder we got the more Arnie loved it.

1978

arnold

The late, great Arnold Miller, found and leader of Ardell and Matrix Essentials. Arnold is on my list of top five favorite people in the world, ever… together with Sydell Miller, his wife.

1975

effects

A sampling of special-effects slide graphics by Fred Cannizaro and John Leicmon.

1975

special effects

A sampling of special-effects slide graphics by Fred Cannizaro and John Leicmon.

1975

effects

A sampling of special-effects slide graphics by Fred Cannizaro and John Leicmon.

1976

computer

AVL’s “Eagle” was the first real computer for audiovisual shows. It had 64 kilobytes of RAM and used 5.5-inch floppy disks. Incredible Slidemakers was a “beta” test site for AVL’s machines and that is one reason I have so little hair left.

1976

john bromberg- byan king

John Bromberg and Bryan King holding part of the day’s catch at the annual AVL fishing trip in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey. Audio Visual Laboratories featured Incredible Slidemakers work because we had a symbiotic relationship as a beta site. In addition to demo shows we eventually handled AVL’s advertising for the Dove and Golden Eagle. But the magic disappeared when the company went public and Bryan moved to Manila.

1976

mom and dad

Dorothy and Peter Mesney, my Mom and Dad.

1976

dorothy mesney

Dorothy Mesney, my mother, was an illustrator turned musician. She dreamt of fame and fortune. Although she had talent and the necessary narcissism, disorganization was an insurmountable obstacle. Dis-proving that the apple falls near the tree, I am a musician turned illustrator with an organizational fetish. Or, would that be proving it?

1976

incredible images slidemakers

“Incredible Slidemakers” core crew included (clockwise): Bandit, John Leicmon, Jim Casey, Pat Billings, Fred Cannizaro, and me. Mike Chan (lower left), Tim Sali (blue sweater), Rocky Graziano (hard hat) were soon added, with another dozen soon thereafter. We had recently done shows about Lycra womens underwear for DuPont, as well as a tour for the Village People. Things operated more or less like a kindergarten... a quality that became unsustainable as the company got bigger.

1976

john bromberg

Jon Bromberg managed the business as best he could, given the thickness of my skull.

1976

AV event

I organized the first mega event in the AV world: a conference called “Method In The Madness," that featured a couple of dozen top producers. It was an AMI precursor and catalyst. Randy Will at Staging Techniques set up the grid... I think it was the biggest ever up until then... Top producers spoke and showed their work. Among them (left to right) Duffie White, Leslie Buckland, Jim Sant’Andrea and Richard Ships. With me are Joey Porcelli, Jon Bromberg’s as Rocky Graziano, Fred Cannizaro and John "OC" O’Connell look on.

1976

shark

Which one is the real shark? (Hah hah) This was taken on an AVL fishing expedition... well, actually, everything they did was a fishing expedition. (Hah hah hah)

1976

vail festival

We swept up 11 awards at the Vail International Multi-Image Festival. The fact that I was one of the organizers may have had something to do with that. It was the first big industry event for commercial producers (AMI was at that time for educators). Walt Blackwell, an IBM’er, was the MC. Ron Fundingsland’s Colorado Visual Aids did staging. It became “Best In The West” Festival, with its own following and “Politik.”

1976

awards

This scene is the climax of the AVL demo show "You Can't Stop a Dove." The shot features cameos by a who's who of the AV industry in 1976. As a dove is axed by Charlie Spataro, an aghast crowd includes, in clockwise order from left: Mike Garrigan, Clive Butler, David Fellowes, Mike Ruether, Allan Koslowski, Chuck Kappenman, Richard Fairclough, among others.

1977

effects poster

Affect = (Maximum) Effect Squared” was Incredible Slidemakers' formula for success. This poster nailed our reputation for special effects. Our effects were frequently copied and became the standard by which others were measured. Fred Canizzaro, John Leichmon and Jim Casey were my first helpers, and were soon joined by a couple of dozen others. The effects were shot on tandem Forox cameras from complex, hand-made artwork. The audiovisual marketplace was by now booming and the staff grew rapidly.

1977

logp

In 1977 the Incredible Slidemakers logo was upgraded to a full-color version.

1978

Ertel

Bob Ertel (inset) crises-crossed the country with the AVL Insitute, which was the brainchild of AVL founder Chuck Kappenman (at desk). Although an engineer at heart, Kappenman was also an astute marketing man who realized that his own success rested on AV industry growth. He created producers where none had been before by educating people how to make slide shows using AVL multi-projector control equipment.

1978

golden eagle

Bryan King (left) and Chuck Kappenman discuss ad for Golden Eagle, one of the promo projects we were handling for AVL on a "contra" basis. In addition to our promotional work for AVL, we were also a "beta" site for their products.

1978

inner worlds

Audiovisual rigs are and always have been “contraptions,” kluged together... no matter their level of sophistication. I made light of that in my AVL demo shows and we had fun spoofing the industry. These scenes portray the first dissolve, a matchbook projector level, a programmer at work, detail of a “pickle” controller unit. They were made for an otherwise serious documentary entitled: “The Inner World of Audiovisual Laboratories.”

1978

AVL machine

This was the family of AVL machines that created the multi-image industry during the decade from 1975 through 1985.

1978

sandiago

Art Milanese (center) discusses the PD-3 dissolve with AVL's service manager, Abe Santiago (left), and sales director Kevin Bull, (right).

1978

test room

AVL's test bench and QC room at Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey.

1978

top dogs

The top dogs at AVL were founder and CEO Chuck Kappenman (right); sales manager Bryan King (center); and sales rep Art Milanese (right).

1978

gene demmick

Gene Demmick (wearing vest) was impressed with our work for AVL as well as our support of the AV industry. He commissioned us to make promotional shows and materials for Bergin Expo, his xenon-projector manufacturing company. One of the productions, "See the Light," featured an original song and went on to win gold at several festivals.

1978

joey

Joey Porcelli won a big show for us from Great West Life. It was held at the Hyatt Regency Kaanapali in Maui. After the show, we went fishing with Ned Shevelson (Colorado Visual Aids) and his wife. We made a 260-degree of the hotel from poolside with the Cyclopan-70 camera. Little did I know that I’d soon be selling prints of that shot on the Honolulu zoo fence to pay the rent.

1978

joey

Joey Porcelli remained the western rep for Incredible Slidemakers right through to the bitter end.

1978

nightmares

Ed McTigue made his first big money from AVL, but was savvy enough to see that slide shows were getting way too complicated. He hired us to make a slide show about the problematic nature and risks associated with big slide shows. The result was “Nightmares” …a producer’s bad dreams about things that might go wrong at the next day’s presentation. Doug Sloan (seated, pointing) and Tim Sali (holding chin).

1978

nightmares

Martin Sherman in another scene from “Nightmares.” Marty played a buffoon to the nines and was my favorite character actor.

1978

peter lloyd

Peter Lloyd, editor of UK-based Audiovisual magazine, flanked by colleague David James (right) and an anonymous friend.

1978

car

Putting 10 pounds of stuff into a 5-pound bag... or in this case a laser machine into a little sports car.

1978

sloan bromberg

Douglas Sloan came on board as the sales guy, which was a tough row to hoe given the forces at play.… He and Jon Bromberg ran things as a business. My motivations were more ego driven and didn’t always make “sense.” Hirschel & Adler Galleries, who bought our building to be their new headquarters, were forcing us out. I was tired of “business” and wanted to return to “art” which meant working solo.

1978

village people

The Village People road show was a challenge. Chris Hoina (in the rigging) took the show on tour for us. It wasn't that complicated, being four projectors. However, this was in the Show Pro V days... before computers. Show reliability was a bit dicier, then.

1978

village people

Madison Square Garden was the highlight of the Village People road tour. Chris Hoina had his hands full synching the show because a Show Pro V had no synch track so it had to be done manually. The band had a click track, however, and Chris would count along with the boys.

1979

poster boy

For a while I was a “poster boy.” This shot was taken for Audio Visual Communications magazine. Note the three little tripods on the top shelf supporting Metrologic helium-neon lasers. Fred Cannizaro first got me going on lasers when he came on board and then I went overboard with them to the point of nearly sinking the company. Brian O’Brien, our laser-machine designer, beamed his way to the bank, however.

1979

london

With Mediatech, in a deal brokered by Richard Fairclough, we brought Magic Lasers to London's biggest AV show. Had the laser machine been successful, life might have turned out differently. But, in fact, nobody took any serious interest in what was then a novelty. Lasers became a "fad" a few years later when others with more powerful computers made the dream come true.

1979

phillipine tv

Bryan King, AVL's sales manager, created an international position for himself and moved to Manila, eventually marrying into a wealthy local family with media and political clout. His wife, Mah-Aan, ran an interview on Philippines Television. Richard Shipps and I became grist for her mill while teaching at an AVL Institute session (at a posh Manila resort).

1979

Peter Mesney

Peter Michael Mesney, my father, who liked to refer to himself as "The Great Progenitor" at gatherings of family and friends.