Avenue A and East Seventh Street, 1967 | James Jowers
New York. A place of mystery and glory. The city has managed to keep the mystery and glory that started out in the sixties and seventies, a melting pot of both culture and creativity. Of course we all wished we would’ve been there when New York went through this fascinating transformation, and now we, sort of, can.
Photographer James Jowers was in the midst of this mystical time in Manhattan in the ’60s, capturing images of strangers going about in their everyday business. Jowers’ collection is on display in the George Eastman House, a photography and film museum in Rochester, N.Y., but since we don’t all have the means to fly out to the place to be, the museum has posted many of the photographs online, allowing us to travel from our screens into our minds, and onto the old streets of Manhattan.
The black and white images drag you in like no movie can, making you feel like you’re a bystander on the side walk, taking a glimpse into the lives of different people. The stills seem to come alive somehow and will take you on a journey from the safe confines of your home (or, if your naughty, from behind your desk at your office).
See a selection of my favorites below.
Washington Square Park, 1969 | James Jowers
East First Avenue, 1967 | James Jowers
Lower East Side, 1967 | James Jowers
Tompkins Square Park, 1967 | James Jowers
See all the online pictures here.
The Finger 
Street Photography of the 60’s!! Nice!