Text and photographs by Stephen Harmon
As West Side Rag readers know by now, during the vanished days of the 1970s and 80s, I photographed the people and places of the Upper West Side wherever and whenever I could — day and night, old and young, workers, parents and children, architecture, storefronts, signs, cars, and other details of daily life. I pursued no themes. Here is a random group of what caught my eye at different times, places, and seasons. As always, I hope you find something to enjoy.
Stephen Harmon is a longtime Upper West Sider, a retired lawyer, and a world-class photographer whose work is displayed in many of the city’s museums, including The Museum of the City of New York, The Brooklyn Museum, The New York Historical, and The New York Public Library.
Check out our audio interview with Stephen Harmon on Rag Radio — HERE.
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The one thing that stands out, and this is a testament to humanity’s achieving something when we put our mind’s to it, is how much less paper we are using today. The world has finally agreed on something (well, most of us have who actually care about the future of the planet). That one pic of the man sorting the daily newspapers (DAILY!!) is just one microshot of what this city’s news/periodical consumption used to be. Then multiply that by every major (and minor!) city in the world. So, there is hope for us do to right….. when we want to.
I miss the days of print newspapers. Because print to me represents reliable, informed reporting. The NY Times and others don’t always get it right, and there admittedly is something of a leftward bias on its edit page, but it is dramatically better than the web sites where people are getting their alternative news these days.
I also loved curling up on a Sunday morning with the Sunday Times and making my way through it, always learning something new and feeling slightly smarter by the end. Reading it on a screen just is not the same experience.
Like others, I loved coming home from a Saturday night out and stopping to pick up the Sunday paper so I wouldn’t have to go out in the morning.
Thanks again for the wonderful pictures – so much fun!
Will humanity eliminate the use of plastics?
perhaps if we can develop an internet alternative🤭
The reason less paper is being used is not because people put their mind to it, it is because of the internet.
the internet? invented by …wait for it…people.
I suppose it’s all for the better, but that photo made me nostalgic for the Saturday nights when New Yorkers would congregate at newsstands for the ritual of awaiting the truck bearing the Sunday New York Times. For the rest of evening, you’d see people walking up and down Broadway with bulging bundles of newsprint tucked under their arms as if it were the latest fashion accessory. Once you got it home, you could experience the delicious pleasure of being one of the select few entitled to read the Sunday morning paper on Saturday night.
Agree that reading the Sunday NY Times – with (several) cups of coffee is the best – I get the paper delivered – and certain sections arrive on Saturday – but – I put them aside until Sunday morning – and then read the sections in order (believe it is against the spirit of the law to read them on Saturday – they belong to Sunday!)
Some of us still do this!
Where do you buy it on Sat night?
Try home delivery.
Not the same. I really do not think avail on Sat night UWS. Hope I am wrong. Anyone know where / when avail? Only specific answers please. Thx
Fabulous photos and thank you. Father’s with babies, wonderful. The original 72nd street subway station in the rain was a particularly beautiful photo.
and grandfather with baby.
Terrific! All of those newspapers… seems so antiquated now.
A particularly nice selection, thank you!
Absolutely wonderful as always. Mr Harmon’s photos take me back to the 1970’s like an aroma can.
All of the photos from the 70s and 80s are wonderful. They bring back many memories. This is a wonderful neighborhood.Thank you to Stephen Harmon for taking these and posting them.
OMG. I remember the piles and piles of newspapers from when I was a kid. I was just thinking yesterday about all the closed kiosks up and down Broadway and how they used to allll be open and selling papers and candy and magazines, and so few are open now.
I remember it as well and they sadly almost all disappeared.
Great feeling for color!
When women wore shoes,not sneakers
These photos are wonderful. I recognize a nuber of locations; is there any way you could identify them? There is one shot of a gorgeous building I have never seen and would love to know where it is (or was?-heaven forbid)
Thank you!
If you’re asking about the red brick and limestone edifice…that’s The Chatsworth, the Beaux Arts beauty at the terminus of 72nd Street, fronting Riverside Park.
As it’s been shrouded behind scaffolding for more than 10 years, it might not be recognizable to newcomers to the UWS.
Built in 1904, and despite the best efforts of its rapacious developer over the past 10 years, The Chatsworth carries on!
Thank you so much!!!
CORRECTION TO PREVIOUS REPLY: The Chatsworth is at 344 W, 72 St. (not W. 76 St.).
If you’re asking about the building in the fifth photo down, it’s the Chatsworth at 344 W. 76 St. (You can relax: it’s still there.)
I hope the children pictured with adults who were smoking didn’t grow up with health issues! Thanks to the tobacco industry and the government, everyone was clueless back then to the risks of second -hand smoke. The photos are, as always, beautiful, colorful, interesting and tell a story. Many thanks.
Love these photos — thank you!
The photo 8 photos down is very interesting. It is a very rough looking dude with a baby in a carriage. At the newsstand he is buying the civil service newspaper, “The Chief”. People (including me) read that to see announcements for civil service jobs. I guess he was out of work and taking care of the baby. Tough looking guy. It looks like he has a toothpick in his mouth. But upon close examination it looks more like a lollipop. Right at the bottom the sign says, Latest Races Baseball Scores 10 Cents”. These pictures should be preserved. Far into the future people will discuss what the man with the giant stacks of the Sunday Times could possibly be doing.
Thanks for explaining about the Chief. Yeah, some scars. Men with kids – some lovely, interesting shots.
Ah, the Sunday NYT stacked like cordwood, those were different days.
They’re all great. I love the one of the shiny purple car with the reflection of the buildings above.
WONDERFUL! (As always!)
Thanks, Steve!
Omg the first pic is of me and my family. I must have been 14/15 years old. No idea where we were coming from but maybe a street fair since we are all eating and it seems like spring/summer. But oh the clothes!!! #80s fashion lol. We recently sold our place on 85th street after my family lived there for over 60 years but we will forever be Upper West Siders <3
Your family is beautiful and I hope you have settled somewhere you like.
The color in the film photos is so much more pleasing than any digital photo today. Great depth and warmth. My grandfather was an “avid amateur” (in his words!) photographer and had his own color darkroom to develop his photos. Your series reminds me of time spent with him! Thanks 🙂
ArtAppreciation,
You can get these colours from digital, but it’s a large amount of work to learn what settings will do the job.
Achieving these colours from film is also a huge amount of work — probably done when scanning the film. However, given the same film type/brand, one keeps those scanner/software settings, sort of like keeping digital post capture processing settings. So once you have the formulas down, the colour will follow.
Agree, with your comments on digital, but I grew up with film and have great appreciation for it as a medium. As they say, art is subjective!