Steve Shapiro

In 1964 I became a French Comte after the Roncherole family, Joel Roncherole the 4th Prince of Paris and I met.

Joel was a boy when we met in Grenoble, france, he was a man from Rhode Island, USA. I became curious about his signant ring and with the understanding that came about also came a deep competence and understanding for the French aristocracy. He wanted to claim his title as the Prince of Paris and I was his competency, his secretary.

The connection began with a love for our private club in Grenoble, Le Boucherie; and the more learned about each other the closer the tie.

His Grandmother, the Comtesse was charged by the King to keep the book on French aristocracy. Before that, his family were the accountants to the King, Louis XVII.

Louis was approached to finance the Marquee Lafayette while doing his ballet in the garden. Roncherole was told, 'sure, give him the money.'

So, the savior of our American Colonies by Lafayette, Cadillac, and La Salle the four Admirals who were financed through the throne of Louis XVII was Roncherole. My Great grandmother's great grandfather fought in that war.

That was our next connection, which lead to my title as the Comte de Roncherole.

(more later, bientot)

Born in 1944 in Bridgeton, New Jersey Steve Shapiro graduated Burlingame High after the family moved to California in the early 1950's. As a college graduate, he moved into Pebble Beach with his family and developed photography as his primary art form from making movies much like Man Ray with whom he exhibited in the 1960's.

A 1969 UCLA graduate student in theater arts, film due to his friend Ansel Adams' recommendation, Shapiro, a thirty year-plus Carmel resident had his first book "Carmel - A Timeless Place" published by Central Coast books in July 1998. A local best seller, it is considered a substantial footnote to the Arts & Crafts architectural movement.

Writing about photography and as a journalist, Shapiro published major works on photographic history especially the argument on the image versus the print in a British Journal, Photographica World to which he regularly contributes. Of the permanent collections that house Shapiro's work from one man shows, the US Navy, Seabee's Museum at Port Hueneme, Calif. have "The Peacetime Navy," and the Smithsonian Institution.

Shapiro's black and white work is straight forward without intended flaw but wrought with experimentation and metaphor; and his color work is interpretative by intent.

"I'm greedy wanting to get all the beautiful pictures, and paradoxically generous to offer it all as understanding; or to confuse with metaphor." One portfolio is Cachets des Lors: "Treasures Only Exist When I Find Them There." His visual statement is, "Look here!"

With history as a minor in the University degree earned, and a book on a history of urban development; and after years of screenwriting and writing short stories and magazine articles Shapiro emerged an author. A writer and photographer, dreams fulfilled that began during toddler years.

My grandfather was a pioneer in the movie game, so I realized opportunity early. His first employer was Howard Hughes and from there having invented sound mixing, my grandfather became my own beacon of theatrical enterprise.

Good experiences in theater, as a pupeteer, promoter of events by age six I was secretly dedicated to showing off. I loved to entertain.

On my serious side, seeking the center of attention and with a sound mind of good ideas; I was unanimously elected the very first President of the Jr. United Nations. Another of my dreams, fulfilled by my own original conception that if children ruled the world for one day, we might have a better place to live. It was a title that gave me courage for lots of political policy writing, and among three top pieces was the Paris Peace Accords with tatical strategy to end the War in Vietnam.

Still active telling stories, with some substance, and a few facts; and making pictures with a still and movie camera I can't stop standing up for what makes us all entertained, unconditional human beings.