I just read an essay by Bruce Davidson, Train of Thought: On the ‘Subway’ Photographs, New York Review of Books, Dec 2011. I was compelled to do a quick review of your subways photos. How different in time! In spite of ourselves did we become a bit more civilized in 30 years? .
Well, if I recall correctly, Davidson’s subway work was in the ’70s, the nadir (in my lifetime) of civilized living in New York. The streets were dangerous and filthy, the subways foul and graffitied and people were leaving for the suburbs in droves. I, myself, was mugged at gunpoint, knifepoint and fistpoint several times over those years. New York is relatively more civilized (and let’s not forget the origins of the word civilized in the Latin for city!) nowadays yet still possesses, I think, its megalopolic vitality and energy.
Thanks for putting a Davidson reference on my blog!
I just read an essay by Bruce Davidson, Train of Thought: On the ‘Subway’ Photographs, New York Review of Books, Dec 2011. I was compelled to do a quick review of your subways photos. How different in time! In spite of ourselves did we become a bit more civilized in 30 years? .
Well, if I recall correctly, Davidson’s subway work was in the ’70s, the nadir (in my lifetime) of civilized living in New York. The streets were dangerous and filthy, the subways foul and graffitied and people were leaving for the suburbs in droves. I, myself, was mugged at gunpoint, knifepoint and fistpoint several times over those years. New York is relatively more civilized (and let’s not forget the origins of the word civilized in the Latin for city!) nowadays yet still possesses, I think, its megalopolic vitality and energy.
Thanks for putting a Davidson reference on my blog!
Reblogged this on trenodopotreno and commented:
thanks