Ducky
Well-known
I am enjoying reading and studying "The Jazz Loft project" by Sam Stephenson about Gene Smith's years in 821 Sixth Ave, NYC in the ~60s~. He had a flat and shot thousands of photos out the window and of the many jazz musicians who used the building as a meeting place/rehersal hall.
I am alo reading "Hubert's Freaks" about the famous freak show/flea circus on 42nd st., NYC at about the same time period.
Hubert's was a favorite hangout of Diane Arbus, along with the gay bar upstairs, and where she met many or her famously odd subjects.
The beat generation was existing downtown at the same time.
Now to my point, I was working as a building inspector for an insurance company at the time and traveled all over Manhattan, passing 821 Sixth Ave and going into Hubert's many time. I also inspected some of the clubs in the villiage. I must have passed, bumped into, stood next to any number of these folks, along with others we now call pioneers of street photography, and never knew it.
I was not interested in photography at the time, new family and all, and never thought about it.
It just seem interesting now that I was so close to all this creativity and was not aware of it.
I wonder if anyone else has had similar experiences.
I am alo reading "Hubert's Freaks" about the famous freak show/flea circus on 42nd st., NYC at about the same time period.
Hubert's was a favorite hangout of Diane Arbus, along with the gay bar upstairs, and where she met many or her famously odd subjects.
The beat generation was existing downtown at the same time.
Now to my point, I was working as a building inspector for an insurance company at the time and traveled all over Manhattan, passing 821 Sixth Ave and going into Hubert's many time. I also inspected some of the clubs in the villiage. I must have passed, bumped into, stood next to any number of these folks, along with others we now call pioneers of street photography, and never knew it.
I was not interested in photography at the time, new family and all, and never thought about it.
It just seem interesting now that I was so close to all this creativity and was not aware of it.
I wonder if anyone else has had similar experiences.