Moths to a Flame
Park City, Utah - 2026

Just as moths are drawn to a
light, those without celestial
pretensions are drawn to the No
Name Saloon in Park City, Utah.
It is as good a saloon as there is in
the West and it is good because the
patrons are not virtuous. This is a
place where those without a moral
compass are accorded a front seat,
a free shot and a hall pass.
When Mark Twain confessed, “I
don’t want to go to heaven. None
of my friends are there.” He spoke
to the patrons of this joint. There
is no code of conduct at the “No
Name” other than to enjoy life.
The slight irony is that in Utah,
state laws on drinking are
increasingly conservative and
entry to the No Name is only
secured after the most fastidious
of door policies. A foreigner in the
autumn of their life, who can secure
free bus travel back home, must
bring their passport to gain entry.
These tableaux photographs are
not easy to get right as I want to
evoke an intense sense of place
regarding the interiors while also
highlighting the human archetypes
that make the place unique. The
two are codependent: there is
no fabled saloon without a good
clientele and there can be no
strong patronage unless the
destination has a unique vibe. Once
this circularity is fixed, there is
every chance an iconic venue can
evolve and that is exactly what has
happened at this saloon in Park
City.
We would like to thank the owners
and management of the No Name
Saloon and indeed the locals of
Park City for their help with this
project. We promised to beat the
record for a bar bill by midday on
a Tuesday morning and I think we
comfortably achieved that.