War zone? Photo | TrekEarth

Photographer’s Note

Actually no, just a view of one of the less up-market areas of NYC in 1980. Something had gone seriously wrong with this district in the South Bronx, just block after block of derelict buildings and wrecked vehicles. The place reached the bottom of a downward spiral which, by 1995 (my next trip) had been completely reversed by new development.

This shot was taken 1 week after the USSR invasion of Afghanistan, amazing how long that tradegy has been going on.

ChrisJ, PixelTerror, richtersl, weswang, bibiweb, wilkinsonsg, KevRyan, Rinie_Hoff, zips has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

cobraphil8 (11652) 2005-12-06 3:46

Impressive vision of NYC, one would be really believed in a zone in full urban war.
Good seen
Philippe

ChrisJ (70485) 2005-12-06 4:07

Hi Richard

Good choice for b&w, which suits the illusory historical comparison with a WWII bombing. Excellent tonal range pov & sharpness. Tfs.

PixelTerror (87159) 2005-12-06 4:30

Hi Richard,
A superb documentary shot from you as our war correspondant in New York, it's unbelievable such a scene can be from NYC, it looks like Dresden in 1945 !
I like this photo for its great historical value and contrasting dimension with the current situation. I'm wondering how dangerous it was to venture in such areas in 1980 ?
Have a nice day,
Jean-Yves

eco (84) 2005-12-06 4:43

Hi Richard

I like this fantastic shot, perfect view, very intresting bw , perfect job, best regards, rafal

Fixfocus (9377) 2005-12-06 6:07

Great reportage style shot that shows that it don´t need a war or a conflict like in Northern Ireland to destroy a city.

lollie (0) 2005-12-06 7:19

Amazing and unbelivable shot.

richtersl (3544) 2005-12-06 11:42

I've heard of the South Bronx described as a war zone but I've never actually seen a photo of it looking as such. What a capture you have there, Richard; a superb documentary shot! It's not the safest of places to be, even now.

weswang (18223) 2005-12-06 23:07

Hi Richard, It does look like a war zone picture with all the depressed looking around the area. Without your note, it is hard to guess where it is. I would guess that it was taken during WWII. The B&W picture well suitable for the dark mood. An interesting shot and PP.

jinju (14265) 2005-12-07 3:32

This is (was) NYC? Im going to show this to my wife..shes in love with NYC. I would never have guessed that this is NYC...Warsaw circa 1945? YES! NYC circa 1980? NO way. You must be putting us on Richard!:) The b/w probably has a lot to do with our perceptions of the timframe for this photo..was the original in b/w?

bibiweb (8) 2005-12-07 4:27

Hi Richard,
I'm not surprised to see this vision of New York. I was living there until 1974 and though I don't recall this particular place, I do remember that there were some area where it was not really recommended to stray off alone, especially in the evening. An excellent shot that carries a lot of documentary value. Thanks for sharing this with us.
Have a nice day.
Brigitte

wilkinsonsg (8646) 2005-12-07 13:11

Amazing shot, almost unbelievable, it looks exactly like the title - suits B&W to a tee :)

michalu (792) 2005-12-07 14:13

Hi Richard! It is a strange picture of Nyc. it is hard to believe that it is the splendour city which we know from ather photos.
very good job!
Regards
Michael

KevRyan (22422) 2005-12-08 13:53

Amazing image and reportage Richard - you see this occasionally on movies but it really is so bleak in your black and white image - I can imagine this wasn't the safest place on earth.

best wishes KEv

everlasting (10942) 2005-12-09 3:08

Great archive shot, Richard. Splendid B&W, as everyone has already said looks more like a scene from a WWII documnetary than New York in the 1980's. Makes us all feel old.... I was in Afghanistan prior to the USSR invasion.

Rinie_Hoff (9334) 2005-12-11 15:58

Hi Richard, yes, it seems like a warzone, and one thatlooks very close, take a look here.
It really seems like the Laurenschurch in Rotterdam in 1940, which was about the only structure that was left after the bombardment. If it wasn't for ONE lousy building, I could see that church from my window.
I like you B&W series, Richard, you have quite some good ones in your archieves as well, BTW!

jbweasle (9294) 2005-12-20 4:39

Richard, it's almost impossible to believe. It really does look like a war zone. Did the US somehow keep this quiet or did other distractions like Afghanistan mean that this was overlooked in the news? This shot is perfect in B&W - it looks like something out of WW2.

colinbrenchley (6133) 2005-12-28 4:36

The other side of America - B&W is a strong powerful medium in these instances. I know this was a few years ago but areas like this still exist in all countries.Regards Colin

zips (1941) 2006-11-01 9:47

I remember taking a cab at about 4 am through here and the cab driver seemed a bit worried.

New York is a place where it is hard to see change on a daily basis as it is moving so fast. I love these retrospective type shots of the place..especially since I lived there for 8 years.

Great Job.
Aloha, JB

diafani (694) 2007-08-16 13:18

Nice shot. I believe this is where the movie "Wolfen" was shot. The mutant urban wolves live in the tower. I remember NYC like this, you captured the mood very well. I've always regretted not taking more pictures of the city back then. It was an exciting time...