Bruce Davidson's Subway on line ...

dmr

dmr

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I've actually read this book some years ago at the local libe, and it looks like the complete series is now on line.

Street photographers and transit/rail fans will probably find this of interest.

http://www.art-dept.com/artists/davidson/portfolio/subway/newportfolio.html

Very gritty, and a few of the images can be a bit disturbing.

Enjoy! 🙂

({profanity} can't seem to use italics in the title!)
 
I've been a fan of Davidson's work ever since I saw his series on East 100th street, so found this very interesting.

Thanks for posting.
 
I just returned this book to the library! It is a great book- it is too bad the web version doesn't have the essays. It was fun reading how Mr. Davidson prepared himself, mentally and physically, to go out every day on the subway.
 
Amazing. I realize that I'd seen several frames from Subway before without realizing they were part of this work. It's especially poignant that I recognize some of the same locations and vistas from my years in NYC.

And I feel I should point out, to those that might think this represents the City today: Davidson compiled this work on the late 1970s, at the nadir of the Subway's history. The City - and its subway system - is very different today, and is probably a subject too mundane to create a monograph from.

dmr, thanks for the link.


Cheers,
--joe.
 
Ducky said:
Beautiful work, makes me glad I left the city.
Click to expand...

That was one reason (among many) that I chose to relocate when I did. I left in the 70's, during the Beame years, as things were starting to get really ugly.

Ironically, the violent crime rate out here (Somewhere In Middle America<tm>) is now higher than in NYC! 🙁
 
planetjoe said:
The City - and its subway system - is very different today, and is probably a subject too mundane to create a monograph from.
Click to expand...


seriously. anyone inspired by this work to come here and shoot something similar will be grossly suprised by how sanitized this city has become. Hasn't looked like that in twenty years or more.
 
Now you are more likely to be confronted by an angry wall street guy who didn't get his 5 million dollar bonus and is very testy.
 
that webpage doesn't have the same content as the book. it's missing some photos, has some that weren't in the book, and is sequenced differently.
 
Reading this thread I detect the underlying thought that many believe the great social changes are history and there is no more in the present worth documenting for future consumption.

I suggest that everyone get their *ss out there today and document what is happening in 2009 that may be viewed in the future as something significant.

Few of us believe we will be the Bruce Davidson's of 2035. But what so we think Bruce Davidson was believing 25-30 years ago when he was photographing?

The world has too many spectators and needs more participants.
 
tough project.

If there was ever a city whose residents dont give a F about anything, its this one. Hysteria is carefully measured and dispensed...
 
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