My Curious Years with Charles Henri Ford: The Autobiography of Indra B. Tamang
In 1973, poet, photographer, collage artist, and sculptor
Charles Henri Ford convinced a
young Nepalese waiter at his hotel in Kathmandu to come work as his all-purpose
helper. Nineteen-year-old Indra Tamang, who spoke minimal English, was soon
enjoying an education and a life he could not have imagined. He quickly
graduated from cooking and running errands to attending social engagements with
Charles, to accompanying the artist on his international travels, eventually
becoming his collaborator, and more of a son than an employee.
Charles was a magnet for creative people, and during the '70s,
'80s, and '90s, Indra found himself at the center of seemingly every fantastic
little universe in New York, Paris, Crete, and Kathmandu, often as a quiet
observer taking photographs and making mental notes. There was Studio 54, Andy
Warhol's Factory, the teas that Charles would host at the Dakota, attended by
regulars such as Tennessee Williams, Quentin Crisp, Patti Smith, and Henry
Geldzahler; there were special dinners at the United Nations; visits to Mary
McCarthy and Leonor Fini; and chats in the elevator with neighbors like John
and Yoko and Lauren Bacall. Charles gave Indra a second upbringing, one that
Indra absorbed with tremendous curiosity and enthusiasm. In turn, Indra brought
Charles into his family's village in Nepal, introducing him to a world that not
many Westerners were privileged to see, especially then. Indra managed to shuttle
between these two vastly different worlds, marrying and having children in
Nepal, though not revealing this to Charles for quite some years.
In 2010, Indra Tamang became the object of global
fascination after inheriting two apartments from Charles's sister, the actress
Ruth Ford. The story in the Wall Street Journal described a Nepalese "butler"
who "grew up in a mud hut" and ended up owning property in one of New York's
most famous buildings. The attention that followed inspired Indra to write this
richer and more accurate account of his life. Illustrated with more than 100 photographs and ephemera from the private collections of Charles and Indra, some never before shown, and gathered together for the first time,
readers will discover that nothing about Indra's "curious years" with Charles
and his friends was ordinary or predictable in any
way.
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Nepal in 1953, and first came to New York City in 1974. He is known for his
artistic collaborations with Charles Henri Ford, and he became internationally
known as "The Butler" who inherited a fortune from Charles Henri's sister, Ruth
Ford. Since the passing of Ruth and Charles Henri Ford, he continues to further
their legacies, and manages the use of Charles Henri's published work. He has
shown his own photography and other artwork at the Mitchell Algus Gallery, the
Woolworth Building, and the 292 Gallery in Lower Manhattan. Between 2008 and
2010 he served as elected President of the Tamang Society of America, and remains
an active member of the Nepali community in New York. Romy Ashby is a New York-based writer, lyricist, editor, and
interviewer. She's written numerous Blondie songs with Chris Stein and Debbie
Harry, and is the editor of the small interview magazine Housedeer as well as author
of the blog Walkers in the City.
--Edmund White, writer
"In 1964, I secured a job as secretary and archivist in an artistic ménage at the heart of New York's cultural elite. Charles Henri Ford was at the center of this circle. This was a time when all manner of people called to speak or meet with Ruth Ford, her husband, Zachary Scott, or Charles: John and Elaine Steinbeck, Edward James, Andy Warhol, and Lauren Bacall come to mind. It was into this milieu that Indra Tamang was introduced by Charles. Indra was in his own way as remarkable as any of the celebrities he was to mix with. His latent artistic sensitivities were expressed in photography and his engaging personality. Indra is indeed an extraordinary person whose life story is as unlikely as a fairy story and is a parable of abilities and service justly rewarded and well deserved."
--Penelope Davidson, former secretary and archivist to Ruth Ford
"I knew Charles Henri and Indra since the '70s, around the art scene. Indra was adorable and seemed to be very happy all the time. I absolutely adored Charles Henri. I think Indra was both a son and a friend to him, which is unique. They had an intriguing friendship and were two of the nicest, smartest, most sweet-natured people I've ever known. Indra's story is very unusual, a different aspect of the Warhol scene and the art of the period that people have written about and are very curious about, which makes this book invaluable."
--Debbie Harry, Blondie singer, songwriter, and actress
"This is the fascinating story of Indra Tamang's journey from Nepal to the legendary Dakota apartment building in New York. He meets the poet and visual artist Charles Henri Ford in Kathmandu in 1972 and two years later accompanies him to Paris, Crete, and finally New York City where he comes to know an array of late 20th century luminaries, including Andy Warhol, Paul Morrissey, Allen Ginsberg, Yoko Ono, and Charles's sister, Ruth, an actress whose Dakota salon is a hub for artists and writers. Supplemented with Tamang's candid pictures, alongside historical portraits by Charles Henri Ford, Tamang's account is tender and humorous and a wonder all around."
--Allen Frame, photographer, writer, and curator
