Anastasia Piper is the proprietess of this fine establishment, located on "the Grand Concourse, London, at the Great Dickens Christmas Fair." We offer fine portraiture in period costumes for the discerning palate.
About Mrs. Piper
The name Anastasia Piper was selected for me by one of the craft coordinators of the Dickens Fair, my first show. Anastasia Piper is a very minor character in Bleak House, who testified in a trial, briefly. All else about the character has been developed over time, along with the Dickens Fair. Today, Anastasia Piper, who, in her youth, was 'no better than she should be', has inherited the photo parlour from her 'unlamented late husband.' Now she is the mistress of her own, self-named, photo parlour, and usually has a well trained and disciplined staff (with excellent manners) to serve her many clients.
Anastasia Piper is played by Alwyn L'hoir, who only sometimes laments (and , ahem... currently rectifies) the fact that her name has never been imprinted on the thousands of portraits and photographs that people have taken home with them.
About Alwyn L'hoir
Alwyn studied both the technical and creative aspects of both still and motion picture photography,among other arts, at college. She worked professionally as a showroom photographer in Las Vegas in the early 80's,before moving to the San Francisco Bay area in the latter part of the decade, where she established Mrs. Piper's Photo Parlour. Eventually, she joined the artistic and overworked Pattersons and Sons crew. "And a wonderful time was had by all."
An avid photographer, Alwyn, when she is not shooting portraits, loves to record the natural world. Her photographs have been published online and in journals, and also grace many a home and mantel.
A note from Alwyn
I've had the rare opportunity to practice my craft for more than twenty years with some incredible people—performers, entrepeneurs, travelers, all. The producers of the Great Dickens Christmas Fair, along with their 'in hiatus' Renaissance Pleasure Faires, collectively were, and are the creators and backers of the longest running craft revivals, in the true sense of the term, in the country. This potent combination is merely secondary to being one of the first and longest-running- "live,audience-interactive-theater"-cum- historical recreation movements.
It has been an incredible honor to record your all too swift presence across my brief stage. I am now photographing my third generation; I remain now, as then, your (er...cough cough) humble servant in bringing your stories to light.
I wish to thank:
Of course, gratitude flows towards: the Patterson Family for their remarkable vision and patronage; the long standing crew, whose seldom sung, yet daily noticed work raises the walls every year, including my vintage-crew real-life husband Mr. Holman, without whose 'gently opinionated aid' and loving tolerance (and sincere technical expertise) the raising of these walls would be ever so much harder. (And certainly longer.) For he and my son Gaelan my heartfelt thanks for much love and inspiration, your gentle acceptance of my winter schedule is gratefully remembered. Lastly, but not least, to our friends; new and old, thank you for your creative participation and play in the parlour. It has been an honor to serve. To quote the immortal bard, "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages."
Here's to our bit part upon the muddy screen called life, caught up in a moment, in a dream called the Dickens Faire.
Yours,
in quantum peace,
and may the merry spirit of Christmas be with you always.
Alwyn L'hoir
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