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Throwback Thursday: 1980s Street Life, ‘One Person Only’

May 12, 2022 | 11:22 AM
in ART, HISTORY
23

Photographs and Text by Stephen Harmon

I moved to the Upper West Side in 1978 and was fascinated by the street life and the people I saw. It was a time of great diversity and everyone seemed to fit in. The people I photographed throughout the 1980s had dignity and great humanity. As I look at the photos, it seems like a distant time in a distant place. A friend of mine says the 1980s is a vanished time. During that decade, I made over 500 photographs of people in the neighborhood — one person only.

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Clarence
Clarence
10 months ago

FABULOUS

Photos along with the Beatles in background singing….

Yesterday
All my troubles seemed so far away
Now it looks as though they’re here to stay
Oh, I believe in yesterday

POWERFUL…THANK YOU STEPHEN HARMON

1
Reply
yoma43
yoma43
10 months ago

These are fabulous. I hope you’ll be able to post more here every few weeks… or at your leisure.

Till then, thank you for sharing thought-provoking visual moments from an era where people actually looked at other people instead of their phones.

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Dominic Frigosi
Dominic Frigosi
10 months ago

Good stuff. I hope you never stopped taking pictures. Where was that diner?

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Reply
rudy franchi
rudy franchi
10 months ago

And idea of the of the location/name of the dineresque interior with the red stools? Rudy

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Reply
Delphic gadfly
Delphic gadfly
10 months ago
Reply to  rudy franchi

Amsterdam Diner, I believe. Amsterdam between 73rd and 74th, east side of the street, but no longer there.

1
Reply
elliott vizansky
elliott vizansky
10 months ago
Reply to  rudy franchi

the hollywood diner was on columbus avenue between 73 rd and 74 th streets // great french toast !!

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bonnie
bonnie
10 months ago
Reply to  rudy franchi

Don’t remember the name but I think the diner was on Amsterdam between 73rd & 74th.

0
Reply
Nelson
Nelson
10 months ago

Love these! Thank you for sharing!

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Reply
Joanna
Joanna
10 months ago

Oh WOW these pictures are just fabulous!! Thank you so much for sharing! I think my fav might be the lady in the blue double-breasted dress. Or the lovely doorman. Just wonderful.

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Reply
Will
Will
10 months ago

outside of no internet access, these were great times.

0
Reply
elliott vizansky
elliott vizansky
10 months ago

the hollywood diner was on columbus avenue between 73 rd street and 74 th street // great french toast !

0
Reply
Margaret Malone
Margaret Malone
10 months ago

Wonderful faces!

0
Reply
Gemmag
Gemmag
10 months ago

More,more,more…just wonderful!

0
Reply
Steevie
Steevie
10 months ago

Very interesting pictures. I spent a lot of time studying them. One that had me puzzled was the guy at the hot dog cart. Above his head is a sign that says, FRENCH POSTCARDS-LOADS OF FUN-CBS. I wondered what that could be. A little research showed that in 1979 there was a movie, “French Postcards”. The local news used to have movie reviewers. I guess the reviewer at CBS thought the movie was loads of fun and theater management put that comment on their marquee.

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elliott vizansky
elliott vizansky
10 months ago
Reply to  Steevie

FRENCH POSTCARDS was a 1979 romantic comedy with Debra Winger and Mandy Patinkin , among others

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Reply
Lauren
Lauren
10 months ago

Love love love these pictures! Thank you for sharing, would love to see more. You should consider a show somewhere, maybe NY Historical Society?

2
Reply
Sarah
Sarah
10 months ago

Nice!

0
Reply
Lisa Kohler
Lisa Kohler
10 months ago

I was so happy to see the picture of the “accordion man”!
I loved hearing his music waft theough the air over 72nd st & into my apt windows . He was a wonderful gift to the neighborhood. If only the Hollywood Diner could have held on as the neighborhood changed. Lovely memories, thanks!

1
Reply
Meg P.
Meg P.
10 months ago

More please!

0
Reply
karen roberts
karen roberts
10 months ago

Omg The Amsterdam Diner on 73rd Street! My husband and I went every Sunday morning. I loved that place. thanks for the picture!!

1
Reply
LAWRENCE BRAVERMAN
LAWRENCE BRAVERMAN
10 months ago

I do miss a good diner, especially after a gorgeous black & white movie at the Thalia (maybe Bergman’s SEVENTH SEAL?)… moments fast frozen into personal history; too soon the sepia memory.

1
Reply
Lori
Lori
10 months ago

Great photographs, thank you!

0
Reply
🌹 Rosie PANDALIANO
🌹 Rosie PANDALIANO
10 months ago

Thought provoking …
Were is everybody now.
Keep showing pictures

0
Reply

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