“Them in jackets, they in long dresses, seated at the foot of the National Mall, they tasted oysters and champagne and danced to the sound of a string quartet.”
It is a photograph (visible below) which “fascinated” the United States and whose The Washington Post sold prints “among its selection of striking or memorable images, such as that of the first step on the Moon [ou] of a Martin Luther King haranguing the crowd”.
Titled On the Mall. Breakfast for 12, at Dawn [“Au National Mall. Petit-déjeuner pour 12, au petit matin”]the image was published for the first time on July 20, 1974 in the major daily newspaper. It was taken the day before by Harry Naltchayan, a photographer for the newspaper.
In an article published on September 29, 2024, The Washington Post traces the history of this image. A story of friendship, heartbreak and daring.
“The scene is fantastic”
This Friday, July 19, 1974, twelve friends met in the early morning in front of the Reflecting Pool, the famous and cinematic water mirror on the National Mall. The invitation card is formal: “Evening attire required.”
Of the twelve guests, only Janet Harley, 27, is not in the secret. At 5 o’clock, her companion wakes her up, hands her a dress, then puts her in a carriage.
Au National Mall, “behind a curtain of vaporous mist, the scene is fantastic: on a long table are set 12 places with a delicate porcelain service, flames dance on large candlesticks, violins, a viola and a cello fill the air with their music.”
While two waiters are busy filling the glasses of champagne, Janet Harley sits at the head of the table, “blown away”. “His friends outdid themselves.”
Janet is ill, diagnosed with terminal breast cancer. “A month before his 28the birthday, an idea came to several of her friends: celebrate her by organizing the most extravagant party that their group had ever imagined.”
To make this possible “scene straight out of a dream”, it was necessary to obtain a permit from the National Park Service and raise the equivalent of 12,700 dollars in today’s money (around 11,500 euros).
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