The outtakes from the WPA’s New York City tax photographs, available from 1940s NYC, capture some remarkable moments. Sometimes kids get in the act, gathered together and peering into the camera: “Hey, mister, willya take our picture?” A wise photographer would likely oblige and be permitted to work in peace. Sometimes, as in the first of these three photographs, a kid seems to be photobombing (or whatever they called it c. 1939–1941). Notice the hole punched through: unusable. And sometimes the photographer seems to have wanted to take a striking picture. The second and third of these photographs appear to be posed.
The background for this third photograph (yes, of course, I had to try to track it down): the Pacific Street side of the 23rd Regiment Armory, in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn. Here, look.
These kids could be ninety or nearing ninety today. I wonder if they ever got to see themselves in these photographs.
More outtakes to come.
Related reading
More photographs from the NYC Municipal Archives
Sunday, February 6, 2022
Outtakes (1)
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comments: 6
That made my day. These kids are my parents' age. (My mom's 90th birthday would have been next week. Well, I guess her birthday is still next week, but you know what I mean.)
Indeed I do.
Great
I’m sure you’ve seen this one too
https://www.archives.nyc/blog/2019/1/25/outtakes-behind-the-scenes-with-the-tax-photo-photographers
Kansas had their own photos, with even larger signs!
#1 is another restaurant
https://cdm16795.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/kcpltax/id/2415/rec/1
Kirsten, no, I haven’t seen that. The writer chose many of the photos that I have lined up. And he identified the armory in the photo I posted Sunday. Dang! I’m just reinventing the wheel, or the outtakes.
Not just a restaurant: a White Castle! : )
Oops — I saw “Kansas City” and somehow thought that comment was from Kirsten (whose name isn’t even in the comment).
Thanks, other reader!
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