The raw and imposing facade of the Jerome Hotel has lorded over Aspen since the 1880s. Its size and ornate brickwork remind us that Victorian architectural ambition extended beyond New York and Chicago, reaching even remote mining communities 8,000 feet up in the Rockies.
The Jerome has witnessed much change in Aspen over 140 years: a tough blue- collar community evolved into a modest winter sports destination welcoming hipsters and artists as well as cowboy capitalists. Aspen then, of course, slowly grew into its role as the world’s most celebrated ski resort. It has lived more lives than most communities ever will. The Jerome’s story is unique and it will no doubt continue to hold court long after we are all gone. It is the one historical constant the town can boast of, having hosted every conceivable archetype over its long life. The hotel chooses not to judge, but if the room walls could talk, there would be a large volume of stories to come from
behind that grand brickwork facade. Not all guest behaviour at the Jerome has come from the highest ethical drawer and I think its legendary status is enhanced by that. This is no gateway to heaven; there is too much history of scandal and vice behind the brickwork. My homage to the grandness of the Jerome demanded compositional balance and good spatial sensitivity. I knew my shooting position and for this to work I needed the help of the Aspen police department who have always been a joy to deal with.
We had no desire to be lame with our props and brought one of the world’s most expensive cars - the Ferrari 250 GTO - onto the set. That immediately allowed me to tell a bohemian story and in Kate Bock and Brooks Nader we had the talent to embrace the vibe. My goal was to take an original photograph that Aspenites could smile at and in so doing celebrate one of the most historic hotels in America. I think we achieved that and there is a pleasing amount of detail in the window reflections. It’s always in the small detail.
There is nowhere quite like The Jerome.