40 years ago, several New York City newspapers went on a three-month strike, including the New York Times. Sensing an opportunity to document life in the City's parks, then-Commissioner Gordon Davis recruited eight photographers from the New York Times and sent them to the various parks dotted around New York City.
The photographers were Neal Boenzi, Joyce Dopkeen (the first female staff photographer hired by the Times), D. Gorton, Eddie Hausner, Paul Hosefros, Robert Klein, Larry Morris, and Gary Settle. Together, they returned nearly 3,000 images, which until recently, ended up being left in a box gathering dust.
It wasn't until a conservancy official was cleaning out an office late last year that the 2,924 colour photos were discovered. Now, 65 of those nearly 3000 images are being put on display at the Arsenal Gallery in New York's Central Park. The exhibition, which runs from 3 May - 14 June, has been curated by Parks’ Director of Art & Antiquities Jonathan Kuhn and provides a fantastic insight into life in New York in the 1970s.
Smartphones, Instagram and Snapchat weren't a thing back then. Instead, New Yorkers had to find their own ways of having fun. In the images, we see people roasting whole pigs over coals, cats on bicycles and large crowds gathering together. However, they also show how the City was going through a financial crisis, with things like outdoor pools being emptied and shut down, to the dismay of young children.
None of the photos are posed or staged, instead, they offer a completely uncurated view of New York City. We've selected 12 of our favourite images to display here. Not all eight photographers are represented, and one is unknown, but they all have something in common and that is a clear look back in history. Where would we be without cameras, hey?
Kids on Jungle Gym
Kids on Jungle Gym, Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, Queens, 1978
Photograph by: Gary Settle
Pig Roast
Pig Roast, Prospect Park, Brooklyn, 1978
Photograph by: Neal Boenzi
Woman at Unisphere
Woman at Unisphere, Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, Queens, 1978
Photograph by: Gary Settle
Family Salvages Picnic Table
Family Salvages Picnic Table, Unidentified Park, 1978
Photograph by: Ed Hausner
Group of Boys
Group of Boys, Coney Island, Brooklyn, 1978
Photograph by: Paul Hosefros
Handball
Handball, Seven Gables Playground, Queens, 1978
Photograph by: Paul Hosefros
Park Revellers
Park Revellers, Orchard Beach, Pelham Bay Park, the Bronx, 1978
Photograph by: Joyce Dopkeen
Girls on Splintered Boardwalk
Girls on Splintered Boardwalk, South Beach, Staten Island, 1978
Photograph by: Neal Boenzi
Boy at Abandoned Diving Area
Boy at Abandoned Diving Area, Red Hook Pool, Brooklyn, 1978
Photograph by: Paul Hosefro
Tender Vittles, Cats on Parade
Tender Vittles, Cats on Parade, Central Park Mall, Manhattan, 1978
Photograph by: D. Gorton
Fiesta Folklorica
Fiesta Folklorica, Bethesda Terrace, Central Park, Manhattan, 1978
Photograph by: Unknown
Resting Girl
Resting Girl, Red Hook Pool, Brooklyn, 1978
Photograph by: Paul Hosefros