Secret Garden

The Collection

The ‘Secret Garden’ collection by Jody Little is a new series of portraits inspired by the guests and residents of the infamous ‘Garden of Alla’ hotel in Hollywood.

The hotel was a safe haven for closeted stars to express themselves freely in a time when the truth about their own identity could ruin their career or even land them in jail.

The portraits are of those whose sexuality has been guessed, speculated and talked about ever since they came onto the screen, such as silent movie legends Rudolph Valentino and Ramon Novarro and screen goddesses Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich.

Some took their secrets to the grave; others were more open. Some just liked to make sure they were still talked about.

Like the subject matter, the portraits are multi-layered. Elements of collage, mono-printing, painting and drawing are used, leaving behind haunted faces in a mythical garden.

With his own perspective and technique, the artist uses the images from yesteryear to question our own notions of sexuality, identity and self and wonder what has changed.

The Garden of Alla Hotel

In 1927 at the unfashionable end of Sunset Boulevard faded silent screen actress Alla Nazimova opened the eponymously named Garden of Alla hotel. The reputation of Nazimova (said to be the inspiration for Norma Desmond in the film Sunset Boulevard) meant the hotel soon became a hangout for the celebrities of the day and stars such as Humphrey Bogart and Frank Sinatra took up residence.

It was known for its laissez-faire attitude where dignity was checked in at the door but anyone allowed in through the haloed gates could be guaranteed discretion. Extra-marital trysts took place safely under cover(s) at the hotel and it was also the meeting place of the ‘Sewing Circle’ – a group of like-minded lesbian and bisexuals headed up by Nazimova and rumoured to include Garbo, Tallulah Bankhead and Joan Crawford.

Notorious parties and hard drinking were the order of the day, tales of which would enter Hollywood folklore. Alas, it could not last forever. By 1959 the party was over. Nazimova was dead and the hotel was knocked down and replaced by a savings bank.