Pony Photographer

Oct. 1979: Pony photographer Bob Mellen having lunch with Susie.

While cruising for wild art in 1979, I found Bob Mellen feeding onion rings to his pony Susie. After hanging out over lunch, I followed them around for a couple hours. The photos ended up as a layout in the Downey Southeast News.

My text from the 1979 story:

Susie works hard for her onion rings.

“She loves them,” says Bob Mellen, a second generation pony photographer.

Mellen and Susie were recently found walking the streets of Downey, on the prowl for photographs. Actually Mellen was on the hunt for parents willing to buy photos of their kids clothed in western outfits atop Susie.

For 15 years Mellen and his ponies have walked all over Los Angeles and Orange Counties. He makes a good enough living - supporting his wife and three kids through his photography.

His father Don Mellen, was known as the one armed bandit. He lost an arm in the Korean War. Don walked the streets for 25 years.

By keeping the family business going, Bob runs into old clients. He often photographs the kids of parents his father Don photographed some 20 years ago.