MYSTERY SOLVED: The Mystery of Colin de Land with an Unidentified Woman at a Party, 2000

Sepia photograph of Colin DeLand sitting at a table with his legs turned away from the table. He is wearing a suit and tie, with a baseball cap and chain necklace. Maripol is sitting on his lap with her arm slung behind Colin’s shoulder. She is wearing a light-colored floor-length gown and holding a fur coat and a camera in her other arm. The table is covered in a damask-patterned tablecloth and there are several water glasses and candles on the table.
Colin de Land and Maripol at a party in Paris, France, 2000 Oct. 5. Colin de Land collection, 1968-2008. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

The Mystery:

Where: At a party

When: Oct. 5, 2000

Who: Colin de Land (left) and unidentified woman (right)

Help us solve the mystery: Who is the woman?

Where was this taken and what was the occasion?

The Solution:

Who: The woman in the photo is artist Maripol.

When: The photograph was taken on October 2, 2000 and developed on October 5, 2000.

Where: At a party in Paris, France.

How to Get In Touch:

If you have leads, clues, or ideas of who the unknown individuals may be , email us at AAAMysteries@si.edu. Your email should include:

  1. Your first and last name
  2. Your organization, if applicable
  3. Your preferred mode of contact, should we need to reach you (e.g. email address or phone number)
  4. The photo name (for which you are identifying the unknown individual)
  5. The name of the individual you believe is the unidentifiable figure in the photo or any information you may have that could help us identify the individual
  6. Your level of certainty in the information you provided

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