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. Wearing a cap and with a pencil behind his ear a meat inspector is watching the meat porter at work heaving a carcass on to his shoulder. The inspector is examining the meat to see if it is damaged or badly cut. The meat porter is wearing his traditional butcher's white overall which is bloodstained from carrying the immense weight of the heavy carcasses. He is one of the elite porters of les Halles known as the strong men, "les Forts des Halles", and is about to carry meat outside to a waiting lorry. The meat has been sold to a customer. The porters known as 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