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Shadows, black and white, landscape, at work, at play, the hustle and flow of Life Magazine’s Love Letter to NYC ; photos from 1940-1972.
The lost, intimate work of photographer Robert Frank. Uncovered, candid and perfect.
From The New York Times (Lens Blog): In 1958, the promotions department of The New York Times hired a young Swiss expat to take pictures that were collected in a slim hardcover book for prospective advertisers. The book, “New York Is,” extolled the virtues of the city and of the newspaper as the best way to tap its prosperous postwar consumers.
Ah, tradition. Great snaps of Westminster Dog Lunch (white table-cloth style) at Sardi’s.
I’m so utterly freaked out by the competition (see post below); I’m cementing this video of 1970′s New York; Taxi Driver style set to yes, Bernard Hermann’s music of doom (includes: Bleecker Luncheonette, World Trade Centers, Village Cigars, Shopsin’s General Story, Adults Only Times Square and yes old Taxi cabs …)
designboom reports on the upcoming event ‘I have seen the future‘, taking place friday, february 17th, 2012 at the MACRO contemporary art museum in rome. Architecture laboratory and magazine cityvision is to announce the opening of a call for proposals that explore the future of new york city in the ’new york cityvision competition‘.
the ‘coney island’ project, designed for the municipal arts society, shows an imaginative future concept of coney island amusement park in brooklyn, part of a community attempt to counter developer proposals to turn the area into a condominium park.
Thank you, Allan Tannenbaum for documenting what looked to be a magical time. You saw it all …live.
Dirty, dangerous, and destitute. This was New York City in the 1970s. The 1960s were not yet over, and war still raged in Viet Nam, fueling resentment against the government. Nixon and the Watergate scandal created even more resentment, cynicism, and skepticism. Economically, stagnation coupled with inflation created a sense of malaise. The Arab Oil Embargo of 1973 delivered another blow to the U.S. economy, and brought the misery of long lines to buy gasoline. Conditions in Harlem and Bed-Stuy were horrendous, with abandoned buildings and widespread poverty. The subways were covered everywhere with ugly graffiti and they were unreliable. It seemed as if the entire infrastructure was in decay. Political corruption, sloppy accounting, and the cost of the war were killing the city. Times Square, the crossroads of the world, was seedy and sleazy. Pimps, hookers, and drug dealers owned the night there. Crime was rampant, and the police were powerless to stop it. Random killings by the “Son of Sam” made New Yorkers even more fearful. The parks were in decay, with litter and bare lawns, and it was home to muggers and rapists. When the proud City of New York had to beg the Federal Government for a financial bail-out, the President said no. The Daily News headline said it all: “Ford to City – Drop Dead.”
-New York In The 70′s by Allan Tannenbaum (the book).
(photos: © Allan Tannenbaum and original posting found on The Selvedge Yard)
“Congestion and aesthetic blandness define Penn Station.” Amen to the fine soul (of Michael Kimmelman) who wrote this piece proposing a new Penn Station which every New Yorker has scattered amongst the chaos, dirtiness and clutter. He asks,
What is the value of architecture? It can be measured, culturally, humanely and historically, in the gulf between these two places.
Then proposes:
But the only way to fix Penn properly is to move Madison Square Garden.
This map (see below) allows you to reconsider the West Side:
Move Madison Square Garden to the current site of the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, which Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo imagines moving to Queens, and create a new light-filled Penn Station.
Even more of a pity when you realize the original jewel, the glory of the original Pennsylvania Station, demolished 1963 (see below).
A bittersweet piece in New York Times about the amazing work of homeless artist Anthony Horton (who died in a subway fire) done from charcoal and fax machine ink he found in the trash. Excerpt below:
Mr. Horton found solace in the blackness of the tunnels. He made the subway the subject of his canvases, the muse for a graphic novel that he co-wrote, and the place he called home for the better part of his adult life, even when he had other places to stay.
(more excerpts from Pitch Black here)
February must be New York photo month (in my mind). I just stumbled across Greenwich Village Daily Photo; more of modern day NYC flavor.
More delicious old photos of the 1970-80s are on Matt Weber’s site.
Whoa; midtown and uptown storefronts signs, ye’ neon and font signs of old. This site is a little archival gem.
Urban anthropologists Andy & Carolyn London interview some of New York City’s “more overlooked citizens”.
