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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
1 year 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
1 year 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.

0
Reply
Dominic Frigosi
Dominic Frigosi
1 year ago

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

0
Reply
rudy franchi
rudy franchi
1 year ago

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

0
Reply
Delphic gadfly
Delphic gadfly
1 year 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
1 year ago
Reply to  rudy franchi

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

0
Reply
bonnie
bonnie
1 year 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
1 year ago

Love these! Thank you for sharing!

0
Reply
Joanna
Joanna
1 year 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.

0
Reply
Will
Will
1 year ago

outside of no internet access, these were great times.

0
Reply
elliott vizansky
elliott vizansky
1 year 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
1 year ago

Wonderful faces!

0
Reply
Gemmag
Gemmag
1 year ago

More,more,more…just wonderful!

0
Reply
Steevie
Steevie
1 year 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.

0
Reply
elliott vizansky
elliott vizansky
1 year ago
Reply to  Steevie

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

0
Reply
Lauren
Lauren
1 year 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
1 year ago

Nice!

0
Reply
Lisa Kohler
Lisa Kohler
1 year 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.
1 year ago

More please!

0
Reply
karen roberts
karen roberts
1 year 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
1 year 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
1 year ago

Great photographs, thank you!

0
Reply
🌹 Rosie PANDALIANO
🌹 Rosie PANDALIANO
1 year ago

Thought provoking …
Were is everybody now.
Keep showing pictures

0
Reply

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