New York in the 80s
I have been photographing the streets and neighborhoods of New York for the past 40 years. When young people today look at my shots from the 1980’s, they are aghast. To them, New York of the 1980’s is almost unrecognizable. And they are right.
Among those who lived through New York in the late twentieth century, the reactions to my photos vary widely. Some people remain nostalgic for New York’s “the good old days.” For example, they remember the Times Square of the 1980’s… and what they remember is not so much the danger but the grittiness and the authenticity. Yes, there was sleaze, but there were also video arcades, cheap movies, restaurants, and weird places. These same people resent the “Disney-ification” of Times Square and the gentrification of virtually all of Manhattan and many areas of the boroughs, and the loss of cheap housing and local stores everywhere.
Others’ reactions to these same photos could not be more different. They remember the high crime, the twin crises of AIDS and crack, the racial tension, the lurid tabloid headlines about the latest street crime. They say: It was a nightmare, and thank God that the worst of these conditions appear to have receded.
Of course, both views are right.
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Book for purchase:
"New York in the Eighties: A Photographic History"
www.blurb.com/b/6144990-new-york-in-the-80s-a-photographi...
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This set contains a sampling of my 1980s-era photos of the World Trade Center. Here is a link to a full set of my WTC photos on Flickr:
www.flickr.com/photos/stevensiegel/sets/72157600382734172/
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I also have made several videos about 1980s-era New York. The videos are posted on Youtube. The following are links to these videos:
"NYC Subway Graffiti from the 1980s" www.youtube.com/watch?v=41tn9_NoYe0
"Times Square in the 1980s: A Short Documentary" www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYsfQV5EPYo
"Big Apple Story" www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhfHpSGAKko
"Times Square in the 1990's: A Music Video" www.youtube.com/watch?v=5l2jjWaOlfA
"Lost Coney Island: A Short Documentary" www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymU5lNhLRnY
***
All of my photos are copyrighted. If you would like to use a photo, please contact me at sns26@columbia.edu.
Among those who lived through New York in the late twentieth century, the reactions to my photos vary widely. Some people remain nostalgic for New York’s “the good old days.” For example, they remember the Times Square of the 1980’s… and what they remember is not so much the danger but the grittiness and the authenticity. Yes, there was sleaze, but there were also video arcades, cheap movies, restaurants, and weird places. These same people resent the “Disney-ification” of Times Square and the gentrification of virtually all of Manhattan and many areas of the boroughs, and the loss of cheap housing and local stores everywhere.
Others’ reactions to these same photos could not be more different. They remember the high crime, the twin crises of AIDS and crack, the racial tension, the lurid tabloid headlines about the latest street crime. They say: It was a nightmare, and thank God that the worst of these conditions appear to have receded.
Of course, both views are right.
***
Book for purchase:
"New York in the Eighties: A Photographic History"
www.blurb.com/b/6144990-new-york-in-the-80s-a-photographi...
***
This set contains a sampling of my 1980s-era photos of the World Trade Center. Here is a link to a full set of my WTC photos on Flickr:
www.flickr.com/photos/stevensiegel/sets/72157600382734172/
***
I also have made several videos about 1980s-era New York. The videos are posted on Youtube. The following are links to these videos:
"NYC Subway Graffiti from the 1980s" www.youtube.com/watch?v=41tn9_NoYe0
"Times Square in the 1980s: A Short Documentary" www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYsfQV5EPYo
"Big Apple Story" www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhfHpSGAKko
"Times Square in the 1990's: A Music Video" www.youtube.com/watch?v=5l2jjWaOlfA
"Lost Coney Island: A Short Documentary" www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymU5lNhLRnY
***
All of my photos are copyrighted. If you would like to use a photo, please contact me at sns26@columbia.edu.
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