Subway, lifeblood.
As a kid growing up in the eightees’ who naturally gravitated towards GrandMaster Flash, The RockSteady Crew and writing graffiti, I always had an affinity for the New York City subway during the late 70′ and early 80′s. It represented the blood-filled arteries of a city pumping with organic, authentic, city-brewed culture. It was covered with tags and pieces while filled with people of every size, shape, age and color. It was reckless and untamed and most importantly, it was New York City.
I collected some photographs from Bruce Davidson, John F. Conn, Jamel Shabazz and Martha Cooper detailing life on and in the New York City subway in the 1980′s. Enjoy.
“I wanted to transform the subway from its dark, degrading, and impersonal reality into images that open up our experience again to the color, sensuality, and vitality of the individual souls that ride it each day.” In “Subway”, passengers of the city’s subterranean world are portrayed in detail, revealing the interplay of its inner landscape and outer vistas, set against a gritty, graffiti-strewn background and displayed in tones that Davidson describes as “an iridescence like that I had seen in photographs of deep-sea fish”. -
Bruce Davidson
John F. Conn
Jamel Shabazz
Martha Cooper
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[...] Kernick hat auf 24 flinching einen ganzen Stapel Bilder von verschiedenen Fotografen liegen, die die New Yorker U-Bahn in den [...]
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I would only hope my photos got this good. Thank you.
Sehr schöne Bilder aus einem anderem New York.
That was the wrong language in my first comment.
Very nice pictures from another New York.
The guardian angles pic….I think the dude on the right was in M.J’s “Beat it” video.
Amazing collection, nicely done.
New York was a tough place in the 80′s
Fantastic collection
absolutely love these.
huge fan of anything of new york of the time period.
What a cesspool of degenerates. Pigs live cleaner.
That’s intense. I had no idea there was so much graffiti everywhere back then! I really enjoyed these shots.
Beautiful pictures.New York was interesting place in the 80′s.I think the city has no age.Nowdays New York is very interesting too.I hope to go sometime
great job… !!! fantatic pict…..
amsterdam?
Back when shit was real. The photo with the dude painting the train with a red sunset is one of the best.
Now we’re talking!
My full-time job ’til thrown on a plane in ’83
. Loved seeing QUIK up again with his trademark uni!
Oh yea, Martha… is that Pink? Is that her in the last photo? Sorry if wrong gender.
I HATE PEOPLE WHO PAINT ON THINGS, ITS NOT NORMAL TO DO THAT!!!!!!
GET A LIFE AND WORK!
Awesome picture. Do you know where I can find more of these or do you have any more to publish? Would love to see them.
Smile. Je staat op GeenStijl !
[...] bij elkaar in de metro, ook wel de riolering van de onderkant van de samenleving in NYC genoemd. Op 24flinching.com is een reeks indrukwekkende foto’s onder elkaar gezet die als een bot mes pijnlijk duidelijk [...]
I had no idea the NYC subway was like that in the 1980′s! Those huge eye glass frames caught my eye, and I the expression on the faces of the terrified yuppy couple was very very real.
From May 1990 through July 2000, I lived in the five boroughs and rode the subway many times every day (and night). It was full of vitality, and sometimes fear, but nothing approaching that “cesspool” feeling, as one of the earlier comments mentioned of the earlier times, from 1980′s (no offense intended).
Sean, maybe you’d consider doing a 25 years later Retrospective series of photos? That would be very interesting!
Great Photos!
Some of these pics are amazing…but NYC wasn’t so tough in the 80′s..70′s..now that’s another story..I Lived in Hells Kitchen during the 80′s, loved it..never had a problem.It was an interesting time as it was transitioning from the 60s/70s to what it is now..
*Crap*
When i see this pictures i hear Grandmaster Flash – the message in my head
mooooi heur
Aww, thanks for the memories.
I appreciate that. I was going to high school in Harlem through this period. I’m glad to know photos still survive from the days when NYC wasn’t Disneyworld.
Whats this, metro in Rotterdam or Amsterdam anno 2010……….. looks like dutch people take over trends from way back (i knew we are slow, but this??!!)…… Shit what will happen in 30 years in dutch public-transport…bazooka’s and clusterbombs, while the rest of the world is in peace….
Great photos! NYC was definitely live in the late 70′s and eighties!
I’m with bronxelf. I went to college uptown and rode subways at all hours. I also used to ride my ratty old bike around Harlem and the Bronx drawing people, and never – NEVER – had a hassle. Plus some of that graffiti was real art… I even remember first seeing Keith Haring’s chalk drawings appearing on the black paper they put into empty ad spaces. Oh, yeah, that was before every square inch of the transit system was one big ad. There was room for real public art.
I preferred NYC then to now… all antiseptic and BORING. Now Manhattan’s so antiseptic it’s a bummer.
Jamel Shabazz – first photo:
http://bit.ly/b3iNmu
I wonder if Martijn Gepkens, who “hates people who paint on things”, was serious? I mean, firstly, it seems like it is normal, considering graffiti has been done since at least Roman antiquity. Secondly, who’s to say graffiti artists (and the other rabble) don’t/didn’t have jobs or “lives”, presuming by that he means aren’t otherwise “productive”? Thirdly, I wonder if this person is even at all familiar with the culture in New York at the time, the relevance in the contemporary “art” world, etc. Fourthly, why is he shouting?
[...] white photos (like the one seen above) are a permanent exhibit at the Museum of New York City.Subway, lifeblood. – 2 4 Flinching via Boing BoingTweetShare0 Responses to “NYC Subway Photos from the 80′s” Feed [...]
The photo of the sax guy reminded me of this panhandler with crazy dreads who rode the west side Manhattan lines in the mid-80s. He blew some terrible riffs then said he was an alien stranded here and needed money to repair his spaceship. His punch line was “…and when I go, I’m takin’ Reagan with me!” The gag didn’t make up for his awful playing, though.
terrified guy in 6th shot from top looks almost exactly like John Ritter… is he?
Thanks for the memories. These photos really capture the feeling of NYC in the 70s and 80s and remind me of one of my favorite quotes:
“In the sunset of dissolution, everything is illuminated by the aura of nostalgia.” – Milan Kundera
Oh, and I wish I could find a photo of the Christmas Train from 1977!
I loved the photos
[...] Rad Shit Photojournalist shots of the NYC subways during the 1980's Subway, lifeblood. | Grimey, gritty photos, its not much nicer these days [...]
Fantastic. I remember well the painted cars and tunnels of my youth in NYC. A cesspool indeed, a lovely one at that.
[...] on August 24, 2010 by Tim Fernholz| Leave a comment Via. This entry was posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink. ← [...]
I only wish I could take photos as amazing as these. Such amazing talent! It gives me something to strive for!
John Ritter? Uh, no. They only barely resemble one another. May peace be upon all New Yorkers. Ah what the hell am I talking about, then it wouldn’t be New York.
[...] Kernick has posted an amazing gallery of New York City subway photos from the 1980′s on his blog 24 [...]
[...] great collection of photographs of the NYC subway in the 80′s. Sure I was a toddler at the time, but I spent a lot of time riding the rails and these images are [...]
Man what a great place to grow up. Thanks for the memories. Great pics of a bygone era.
[...] Hier eine kleine Sammlung an Photos aus der New Yorker Subway in den 70ern/80ern. Viel Spass. [...]
the first time I came to NYC I was a small kitten and it was the early 80s and I thought the graffiti trains were some kind of officially-sanctioned public works project to beautify the city.
[...] Little piece of history Posted on August 24, 2010 by shamoun I just found this awesome article of pictures taken in NYC subways in the 80s. The photography is incredible. Enjoy: http://24flinching.com/word/headline/subway-lifeblood/ [...]
I grew up in NYC in the 70s and 80s. The subway was rough at times for sure, but not this rough. This is way grittier then it was most of the time.
That said, cool pics though that do convey some of the vibe of those times.
Now this is the NYC I remember! I remember most of thos pieces form the 80′s. There’s actually some of these pics published in graffiti books in the library.
Stezo!
[...] photo-essay on the NYC Subway can be found here. It really highlights the change in safety and security that is felt now. I frequently rode the [...]
[...] at these pictures my complaints about the changes in N train service seem really petty. Taken from 24 Flinching, go there for [...]
[...] [...]
I grew up in NYC but left there in ’56. The pictures just served to confirm that it was the best decision I ever made.
[...] 24Flinching (thanks to EV Greive) finds some amazing subway photos from the 70′s and 80′s. The good old bad old [...]
[...] that’s been cleaned up and offered to those with the most money and connections. Gone are the graffiti-littered subways, in are the glitz of Times Square and big studio [...]
Nice pics.
Now I know why I won’t go to NYC.
Naturally gravitated towards graffiti? There must be someting wrong with your nature. Would you like to live in a house with “nice” graffiti on it? Cool, eh?
[...] Subway, lifeblood. | [...]
[...] Two Four Fliching just posted this incredible selection of photographs featuring the work of pioneers like Jamel Shabazz, Martha Cooper, Bruce Davidson and John F. Conn. The photos all focus around the vibrant subway and street culture New York is synonymous for during the early Hip Hop heydays of 1980s. [...]
[...] [...]
[...] mais em : 24flinching.com postada em August 26th, 2010 por mtn [...]
A bit extreme. I used the NYC Subway all through 70s-90s and it wasn’t like this. As a 5th grader I rode on the train with friends (same age) the length of Manhattan and nothing ever happened. I think that the couple photo and the guy with the gun are setup.
@art: Alien Sax Player was funny. He disappeared during the 90′s
[...] 24Flinching has put together a collection of photos from a variety of artists that take you back to the NYC subways of the ’80s. [...]
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Ah! New York subway the way I remember it! I can smell the reek of old urine now… The graffiti was awesome and one of my most intense memories. I still can’t tear myself away from a graffiti covered train. Thanks!
[...] over to HERE for some dope old school flicks. [...]
[...] This fantastic collection of subway photos from 1970’s and 80’s New York City are great to look at. “I wanted to transform the subway from its dark, degrading, and impersonal reality into images that open up our experience again to the color, sensuality, and vitality of the individual souls that ride it each day.” In “Subway”, passengers of the city’s subterranean world are portrayed in detail, revealing the interplay of its inner landscape and outer vistas, set against a gritty, graffiti-strewn background and displayed in tones that Davidson describes as “an iridescence like that I had seen in photographs of deep-sea fish”. [...]
[...] collection of photos, featuring life on the New York subway during the 80s, is amazing. It reveals the underground system’s dark and gritty past, with painful honesty [...]
[...] Photography,Security Through Flying Penguin, I came across the remarkable photos of the New York Subway system in the 1970s and 80s. It certainly looks [...]
[...] to 24flinching.com for compiling the photographs of Bruce Davidson, John F. Conn, Jamel Shabazz and Martha Cooper. [...]
[...] an image of real-world renderings of keyboard shortcuts; a post pointing us to the photo site 2 4 Flinching and its compendium of photographs “detailing life on and in the New York City subway in the [...]
“Now I know why I won’t go to NYC.”
99% of NYers don’t care if you come or not.
[...] old school visual put together by 24Flinching. Sometimes I wish trains were still painted with grafitti. Keep the generation alive! Check out [...]
[...] 24flinching haz ‘em. “I wanted to transform the subway from its dark, degrading, and impersonal reality into images that open up our experience again to the color, sensuality, and vitality of the individual souls that ride it each day.” [...]
[...] Subway, Lifeblood: collection of photographs by Bruce Davidson, John F. Conn, Jamel Shabazz and Martha Cooper detailing life in the New York City subway in the 1980s. [...]
[...] an infinitely better job that it did 30 years ago. It’s hard to believe the pictures in the New York Subway photoessay from 24flinching. It is even harder to imagine that the blog’s owner celebrates the subway of this era in what [...]
While the photographs are beautiful, romanticizing 80′s era MTA is absurd. The system was a nightmare. “Organic?” “Authentic?” Yeah, a great place to get organically, authentically mugged, raped, or murdered.
[...] of photos taken on the New York subway in the 80′s is the work of Sean Kernick over at 24 Flinching. It’s a collection of the work of three photographers. The whole collection is gritty; maybe [...]
[...] Article in 24Flinching http://24flinching.com/word/headline/subway-lifeblood/ [...]
@stroydnaire you need to read @Scott’s post – there was nothing cool ‘live’ about the 70s and 80s in NYC. It was some serious s**t…..I guess violence and the like are always more entertaining when in a hip-hop tune or in some ‘vintage’ imagery…..be lucky you didn’t live in NYC during those times you f**ing twat…..
Such a shame that the NY subway seems to be run by graffiti artists, some who are talented, yet others who only seem to display an empty void. When your public transport system is so fouled up it is worrying, as one pic shows a couple with a terrified look on their faces, how sad, it is their transport system as well as the crack heads, and they dont waste money on cans of aerosol paint they have to work to live.
[...] into service. its rare to see it but it does happen. anyway, this is the past: source: Subway, lifeblood. | 1987: YouTube – Subway [...]
^Yes, John (and others who don’t get it), because these photos are current and reflect the current reality, not one from 20-30 years ago or anything. Jeez. How hard is it to comprehend that these pictures are from the 70′s and 80′s? This New York hasn’t existed in decades.
[...] New York subway photos from the 1970s and 1980s. [...]
[...] @fortheartofit: <3 RT @Annabelle: NYC Subway pics from the 80s http://24flinching.com/word/headline/subway-lifeblood/ [...]
I remember this era….comin from New Haven/West haven ct…….I always expected something crazy to happen during our lil adventure in the city….the suspense….and we would bring weapons jus in case….where we were from it was rough but NYC was like another planet…that even thought we didn’t live far from it….u could never get use to it…..I don’t care…..it would not be NYC without these images….it was like a third world country in the U.S…………Hey Stezo…..wuss good……I’m from West Haven….I use to date ya sisster jocelyn……wuss good big homie………”TO THE MAX”…….”CRAZY NOISE”
[...] Subway, lifeblood. Photos of the New York subway circa 1980s. Via 2 4 Flinching, via The Atlantic // [...]
old school! Pretty dope
Excellent read, it opend my eyes, many thanks!
The people who are nostalgic for this era are as ridiculous as the people who think it represents the way NYC is today.
[...] Sean Kernick hat auf seiner Seite eine sehenswerte Sammlung mit Bildern der New Yorker U-Bahn in den 80ern zusammengetragen. Nicht nur wegen den Bildern von Martha Cooper einen Blick wert. Hier einchecken … [...]
[...] ✷ I recently stumbled back across this piece from Two Four Flinching on photography in New York’s graffiti-covered subways in the 1980′s, and thought it was too special not to share. What a different era. Beautiful images from Bruce Davidson, John F. Conn, Jamel Shabazz and Martha Cooper: Subway, lifeblood. [...]
[...] Subway, Lifeblood. [...]
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What an amazing collection! These photos totally take me back to my early childhood days of riding the subway with my mom in the late 70′s/early 80′s. I distinctly remember all the graffiti in the cars, and how the lights would randomly turn off while the train moved through tunnels. I also remember that the G and R trains were GG and RR back then. Wow – thank you for posting these!
Go on youtube and check out the old style wars documentary. it gives you a true sense of what nyc was like back in the heyday.
what a mess – sad to be nostalgic for such pathetic behavior
Wow,
I forgot how grungy the NYC subways were. I now remember why I tried to stay above ground as much as possible. That is a fantastic collection of photos. Thanks for posting those.
Currently it seems like Drupal is the top blogging platform out there right now. (from what I’ve read) Is that what you are using on your blog?
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Bellissimo archivio storico di fotografie subway-lifeblood ,ancora una volta Sean superi te stesso,grazie per la visione e RSS,Feed continui
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Very nice layout and wonderful content, very little else we require : D.
Love this photographers style! It’s a bit of me
)
Superb article, i’ve just shared on Facebook. The current hip hop artists just don’t kick it like the 90′s artists.
Just reinforces to me what a dump New York City really is and how trashy the people are. Don’t they clean up their places? Are they content to live in the midst of garbage, both piled up and human?
No pride at all in where they live to allow it to get this way.
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You have a few good points.
Beatstreet the king of the beat……hiphop don´t stop…..
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I remember taking pictures with my 110mm camera of the trains on my way to school. I walked from 65th to 72nd street to catch the #2 and #3 to go to Rice High School. Got lots of pictures of graffiti.
[...] John F Conn. You will probably never be this cool. That's okay. [...]
[...] There’s a nice collection of 70s/80s photos from the NYC Subway here. [...]
[...] in the 70′s is something to behold. The site is slow so you might have to [...]
[...] Beautiful decay: riding the NYC subway in the 80s [...]
[...] [...]
[...] Image by John F. Conn, reblogged from Two Four Flinching. [...]
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