In 1960, Jane Fonda was 22 years old and on the edge of becoming a household name. That year, she made her film debut in ‘Tall Story,’ playing a college cheerleader chasing a basketball star — a role she had already brought to life on Broadway. At the same time, she was performing in another Broadway production, ‘There Was a Little Girl,’ directed by Joshua Logan. French photographer Paul Slade spent time with Fonda during this period, documenting her daily life across New York City. The result is a candid and intimate look at a young woman balancing ambition, work, and ordinary life all at once.
Slade’s camera followed Fonda through her apartment, where she lived with relaxed, unguarded energy. She shared her space with a Siamese cat, and the two clearly had a comfortable bond.
When she wasn’t rehearsing or performing, Fonda cooked her own meals and kept up the routines of regular apartment life. These moments show a side of her that had nothing to do with fame.
Fonda’s apartment also served as a social space. She shared meals and evenings with friends, the kind of scenes that made Slade’s photos feel less like a photo shoot and more like a personal diary.
To help support herself between classes and performances, Fonda worked at Hicks & Son, a local shop where she served customers. It was a grounding job for someone whose last name already carried enormous weight in Hollywood.
Outside of work, Fonda kept up her craft. She ran lines with friends and continued training in dance, which was a regular part of her schedule as a working actress in New York.
The Cort Theatre on 48th Street was home to ‘There Was a Little Girl’ during its Broadway run. Slade photographed Fonda near the theatre’s entrance and in front of the production’s poster, capturing her in the context of the work that was defining her early career.
Slade also caught Fonda in lighter, more playful moments on the streets of New York. She tried on novelty masks in a drugstore, leaned against a pole and smiled at street musicians, and moved through the city with an ease that matched her off-stage personality.
Dance classes were a regular fixture in Fonda’s week. Slade documented her in the studio, working through movement with the same focus she brought to the stage.
Among the most notable photos in the series are those taken during Fonda’s visit to her father, Henry Fonda. The elder Fonda was already one of Hollywood’s most respected actors by 1960, and the images of the two together — with Henry explaining a scene to his daughter — offer a rare look at their relationship during a formative chapter in Jane’s career.
