Les Halles at night inside Baltard pavilion number 3, the Meat Pavilion - le pavillon de la viande. Huge carcasses are hanging on sturdy meat hooks in the main area of the Hall where the great meat rails hold many carcasses in rows. The meat porters are wearing their traditional butcher's white overalls which are bloodstained from carrying the immense weight of the heavy carcasses. They are the elite porters of les Halles known as the strong men, "les Forts des Halles", and are carrying meat outside to a waiting lorry. The meat has been sold to a customer. One porter is moving the meat, shifting the carcass in readiness to lift it up and heave it on to his shoulder in one deft movement. Les Forts des Halles commanded great respect. In 1960 the authorities in Paris decided that Les Halles would be moved to Rungis and La Villette. Nine years later the market moved. Sadly the 900 year long tradition of the elite Forts des Halles did not survive the move and their Corporation created in the reign of Louis IX disappeared. Photographer Harold Chapman recalls that a side door in the pavilion was open... "I just slipped in and moved around behind the carcasses of meat hanging on the hooks and when I could see the opportunity poked my head round to see it was quite clear then stepped into the middle of the alley for a second - click - and then moved back. It was the only place I could get in to hide to take that particular aisle." Having remained undiscovered Chapman then decided to take a side view of the aisle as he was "hidden behind the carcasses in another aisle where there was no activity and took the opportunity to poke my camera through the carcasses and take the activity in close-up. I was in the next aisle hiding and peered through at them through the carcasses and crept closer." Watching the meat porters at work Chapman observed that it was highly dangerous work and any loss in concentration meant you could injure yourself or kill yourself. The aisl