The color photos were taken by his father, Hans Jacobi, and Michael did the black and whites as a kid. In just 65 photos, we go from Times Square down to the Village, Chinatown, and out to Coney Island.
The streets have a bit of grit, but it's only 1971. They're not yet grim. (I was excited to find the elusive Elpine drink stand in two shots.)
There are scenes of Hare Krishnas banging their drums. And those South American street musicians who've apparently been around forever. And women with magnificent afros shopping for art on the sidewalk at what looks like 11th and University.
You'll also find shots looking through shop windows, into collections of souvenirs and junk you don't find anymore--exploding snakes in joke cans of mixed nuts and big-eyed guys proclaiming, "I love you this much." (Remember Times Square's shops selling "Back Date Magazines"? There's still one that remains.)
They're large photos, too, so you can zoom in to see details. Click here and here to see more.
15 comments:
I liked Nedicks.
I liked Nedicks.
"Midnight Cowboy" comes from this era. I was around then. Trust me, it was gritty enough for my taste.
I love old photos of NY. The juxtaposition of things that are pretty much the same and things that are totally different is fascinating.
It looked so much more alive without all the chains.
Yeah, the grit was definitely coming on. One B&W photo shows Grants on 42nd, a great junk food emporium in the Coney Island style. Ate there many times. But by '71, it was becoming overrun by sleaze.You couldn't stand still and eat without being hit on.
WOW Mistah J....between these pics and previous Katz's post, I kinda had a time-warped-flashback........NICE BUZZ!
Thanks MUCH.....and a belated shout out to Jake......keep on chooglin' my man.....keep on chooglin'!
In 1970/71 I lived in a rooming house for about 7 months on W 44th Street right off of 7th Avenue. (about 30 bucks a week cash, payable to the concierge) There was a Woolworths on the corner with a luncheonette. Ate there just about every evening. On payday, I treated myself to a hamburger at Howard Johnson's across the avenue. Next door to where I lived was a nudie bar where girls paraded on the bar buck naked, picking up dollar bills. They didn't use their hands. Thanks for the memories.
the under exposed color is beautiful. but hate to say this: whelans was a chain, & it ruined 6ave & 8th st. i can live w/"nedicks". but then again, think of the ruin of lexington & 59th. open "alexanders", then fast food. the the theatres. people selling thier townhouses near by, apts becoming studios. now: unreconizable nightmare. the 1980s ruin of e/86 st. open "gimbles", then chain threatres, then fast food. again, box stores nightmare. those days it was do-able. speed of change was slow, confined to certain areas. you still had options. now?? who knows?
I miss the WALK/DON'T WALK signs.
At first glance I thought the color photos were art works by an unknown Photorealist painter. My mind jumped to Richard Estes, but then said, but he didnt paint a lot of people. Then I read further, and see they are photographs. I admire the composition and the lighting and the reality they show.
Wow. 40 years from now, who's going to want to look at old pictures of today's corporatescape? Unless they're living in a soylent green nightmare, and want to remember the good old days of full bellies ...
You know, my guess is that 40 years from now there'll be a bunch of 60 year olds gazing misty-eyed at pictures of the their favorite Starbucks' and Crunch Gym's. Especially the ones with the cute baristas or the hunky personal trainers. Nostalgia, for better or worse, is in the eye of the beholder.
remember kids, 40yrs from from now, youll all have hanging tattoos. (trainers or no trainers, crunch what ever). there will be entire generation sitting somewhere on miami beach, all those cool designs kind of stretched.
Thrilled to find a shot of "New Hankow" restaurant on 34th st, where my family loved to eat after a shopping day - if not Tad's Steaks.
The Third photo shows Books 168 W 46 St .
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