A new book with a 'Point of View' on NYC

East Village resident Janko Puls has a new book out titled "Point of View New York City," featuring photos of well-known NYC landmarks taken from unusual angles.

Tomorrow night at 6:30, he'll be giving an "Illustrated Talk" at the Mid-Manhattan branch of the New York Public Library. Find more details here.

At Vanishing New York today, Jeremiah Moss talks with Janko about the book and NYC. Head here for the Q-and-A.

Meanwhile, here are two aerial shots of the under-construction 51 Astor Place that Janko shared with us in April 2012

That late 1970s show

[St.Mark's Place 1979]

Alex at Flaming Pablum uncovered a cache of photos from Patrick Cummins, a Canadian archivist. Of particular interest is his set of 250-plus photos on Flickr dubbed "NYC 78-83."

Let's quote Alex's post on the photos:

Everyone talks about how “gritty” New York City used to be, and it’s almost become this quaint little descriptor that people blithely toss around, but Cummins’ photographs hit you like a sooty, graffiti-slathered stone. His remarkably composed black and white shots of various city spaces can be chilling and stark, revealing a great city in decline. Suddenly, your eye fixes on some random architectural flourish or landmark, and you recognize the location. More than a few of these pictures had me positively gasping.

Here's a sampling of the photos from around these parts (his photos span from Harlem to Coney Island) …


[Looking east on Union Square from 1979]


[Bleecker at the Bowery, undated]


[Crosby and Bleecker 1978]

Jeremiah posted a selection of Cummins' photos on Thursday at Vanishing New York.

Find this set and a lot more at Cummins' Flickr account.

Watch this 10-minute documentary on the amazing street photographer Flo Fox

A friend introduced us to the work of acclaimed photographer Flo Fox several years ago. Her life and work make for a remarkable story... and Brooklyn-based filmmaker Riley Hooper has captured Fox in a 10-minute short titled "Flo: Portrait of a Street Photographer."

Here's the film's description:

This 10-minute documentary explores the life and work of photographer Flo Fox, who, despite blindness, multiple sclerosis, and lung cancer, continues to shoot the streets of New York City. No longer able to hold a camera, she instructs her aides to take photos for her. She’s an incredible woman with a feisty spirit, sharp wit, and dirty sense of humor.

We asked Hooper a few questions about the project.

How did you first learn about Flo?

I met Flo in 2011 as she was preparing a solo photo show at Gallery 307 in New York City (now the Carter Burden Gallery), where my friend was working. The gallery represents artists over the age of 60. I was immediately drawn to her photography. Her witty captions especially grabbed my attention. I think she and I have a similar sense of humor

What are your thoughts about Flo after having the chance to spend so much time with her?

There's obviously a lot of wisdom and inspiration to be gleaned from this story. On a personal level, it's sobering to think that Flo bought her first camera when she was about the same age as I am — and that four years later she would be diagnosed with MS. Yet it's inspiring to see that her positive outlook and intense passion for her work has allowed her to persevere. It's a motivating reminder to never take anything for granted in my life, or make excuses in pursuing my filmmaking. Those are, of course, cliched maxims. Yet they're ones I now resonate with on a deeper level, and I have Flo to thank for that.

Do you think they'll be more to Flo's legacy than just her incredible body of work?

Oh, certainly! I hope that people remember Flo not only for her photography but also for her incredible drive and positivity. She's a testament to the resilience of the human spirit.

Hooper recently released the film.

You may watch it right here.

A quick step back into the early 1990s East Village

[East 5th Street]

Gregoire Alessandrini has once again updated his excellent blog, New York in the 1990's Photo Archives ...

We thought we'd share a sampling of his latest uploads here from the early 1990s...


[East 7th Street]


[St. Mark's Place]


[Second Avenue]


[Astor Place]

Spend the rest of your day checking out all his photos here.

Some background: As a student here in the early-to-mid 1990s, he always carried a camera around with him ... and he has been uploading the photos from that time to his blog. He lives in Paris these days.

Previously

You have a few days left to see the work of East Village photographer Sally Davies

East Village-based photographer Sally Davies has been showing her work from around the neighborhood at the Bernarducci Meisel Gallery (37 W. 57th St. at 5th Avenue) this month. Here's your last chance to see it… The exhibit has been extended an extra day… today and on Tuesday…

You can see her work like this…



The gallery hours are 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. (Closed Sunday and Monday)

James and Karla Murray pick their favorite pics from 2013

Photographers James and Karla Murray have selected a few of their favorite photos from 2013... and the East Village is well-represented ... including the two in this post ... Check out all the photos here.



The urban documenters have several books to their credit, including "New York Nights" and "Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York."

It was all upon a foggy night...

Last night's fog provided a stunning backdrop for photos in Tompkins Square Park … these shots are from EVG regular Grant Shaffer…









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…and an aerial view via EVG reader Anna…

It was a dark and snowy night...

The excellent photos by Grant Shaffer

The photogenic recyclables of East 2nd Street

The daily activity outside D & D Salvage on East Second Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue caught the eye of East Village resident Stephanie Nilva, who recently began documenting the streetscene here.

"I walk by every morning and I loved how the bundles look — the colors, the textures," she said.

A look at NASA's Minotaur Rocket streaking across the East Village sky

Last evening, the U.S. Air Force launched an Orbital Sciences Minotaur 1 rocket into orbit from a (really?) Spaceport on Wallops Island, Va. Per HuffPo:

The nighttime launch could light up the sky for millions of observers along a wide swath of the Eastern Seaboard, and could be visible from just northeastern Canada and Maine to Florida, and from as far inland as Michigan, Indiana and Kentucky, depending on local weather conditions, according to NASA and Orbital Sciences visibility maps.

The rocket launched into space at 8:15 p.m. And acclaimed photographers James and Karla Murray got this shot ... as the thing traveled some 11,700 mph (per those nerds at space.com)... over our airspace...




Space, the final frontier for more luxury housing...

A view of the Village View

High contrasts by EVG contributor jdx

East Village at night

We featured the photography of East Village resident Sally Davies here earlier this year... wanted to share a few more of her recent photos from around the neighborhood...









Find more of her photos and info on her website.

The photography of Jefferson Siegel

You've likely seen Jefferson Siegel's news photography (and byline) in The Villager, Daily News and elsewhere... He recently launched a new site showcasing his photos ... (and he continues to add to it...)

I've always liked his work, especially his Occupy Wall Street coverage. You can find his site here.

The photography of East Village resident Sally Davies

East Village resident Sally Davies moved here in 1983 ... and has never stopped taking photos... the painter and photographer shared a few more recents shots with us...

"I like to shoot things that don't necessarily reveal their time, and there are still lots of those visuals here," she said.

"People often think my images are of the old days, but really they aren't," she said. "Those things are still around if you look."

"That wheelchair was on the roof of a buildilng directly outside my living-room window — a big party house. One morning after a wild party, the wheelchair was sitting there," she said. "And it sat there for about three years. So I got several pics of it, in different seasons. Then one day it was gone. Poof."

We also found a photo of neighborhood legend Eddie Boros in her portfolio... Boros, who erected the Tower of Toys in the Sixth Street and Avenue B Community Garden, died in April 2007...

"[There was] nobody like Eddie. I miss him."

Find more of her photos and info on her website.