New York City is unique in character – and one of its native sons has published a collection of black-and-white photographs capturing its quirks spanning more than 35 years.
Jeff Rothstein, a photographer from Brooklyn, has spent his adult life snapping pictures of New York City.
His latest book is titled Today’s Special: New York City Images 1969-2006.
It includes images of New York icons and institutions.
‘Wandering the streets with my 35mm cameras loaded with [black-and-white] film, I consider myself an urban observer,’ Rothstein said.
‘I try to capture the city’s environment – structures, signs and, most of all, the fleeting moments of people on the streets that will soon disappear into thin air.’
Two lovebirds enjoy the view of the East River and the Queensboro Bridge in 1973
A young boy cools off on a hot day under the sprinklers of New York’s Central Park in 1971
Before mobile phones existed, people had to rely on land lines in the home as well as pay phones on the street. A woman is seen above taking in the sights of Canal Street in Lower Manhattan in 2001
Muhammad Ali is seen above at Madison Square Garden in 1971. The Garden is the arena that hosted one of his biggest triumphs. In March of that year, Ali defeated Joe Frazier in what was referred to as ‘the Fight of the Century’
A jubilant Mets supporter shares his joy with other fans during a game at the now-defunct Shea Stadium in 1969. The Mets would go on to win the World Series that year – earning them the nickname ‘the Miracle Mets’
Jeff Rothstein snapped a photo of ex-Beatle John Lennon and wife Yoko Ono together in Manhattan in 1971
A sign is scribbled with graffiti in the Soho section of Lower Manhattan in 1979
A man takes a break inside a giant Western Electric cable reel in Midtown Manhattan in 1983
New York City has always been a hotbed of political activity. The image above shows a demonstration by members of the far-right Jewish Defense League in Brooklyn in 1971
Two New Yorkers console each other in Lower Manhattan just a few days after the September 11, 2001 attacks
Women wear masks as they walk near the area of Ground Zero days after the attacks which brought down the World Trade Center
A woman paints while two children look on at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan in 2006
The image on the left shows an activist with the Irish National Caucus, a group advocating for a united Ireland, in Brooklyn in 1981. The image on the right shows a woman in Central Park in 1971
There’s a photo showing rejoicing Mets fans ecstatic over their team during a game at the now-defunct Shea Stadium.
Rothstein also took a photo of two of the city’s most famous residents – John Lennon and Yoko Ono – wandering the streets of Manhattan.
Another poignant image shows a couple sitting on the banks of the East River and snuggling as the Queensboro Bridge provides a dramatic backdrop.
Another cultural legend, Muhammad Ali, is seen in one photograph hamming it up on the basketball floor of Madison Square Garden in 1971.
The Garden is where Ali marked one of his greatest triumphs – defeating Joe Frazier in the ‘Fight of the Century’ in March of that year.
Rothstein catalogs New York as it underwent a dramatic transformation – from a metropolis plagued by decay, crime, graffiti, and economic ruin to a sprawling urban center that has become vibrant and wealthy.
There are also pictures of New Yorkers coming together during the city’s most traumatic moments – the days and weeks following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
Children play on a field in Central Park in 1972. Central Park in the 70s and 80s was largely neglected and running out of money
A cheeky restaurant sign is seen above on Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village in 1979
Anti-nuclear protesters gather in Washington Square Park in 1979 – the same year during which the Three Mile Island disaster took place
A young boy uses an unconventional method of transportation at Washington Square Park in 1971
A woman window-shops in the Chinatown section of Manhattan in 1997
The image on the left shows a poster for a concert by the group The Clash in 1981. The image on the right shows children jumping from a mailbox in Greenwich Village in 1985
Three kids perform a dancing routine involving grabbing each other’s head with their feet in Soho in 1985
This passerby decided to ham it up for the camera near New York’s Columbus Circle in 1971
Peekaboo! The man on the left hides his face behind a potted plant that he placed inside of a pay phone on the corner of Broadway and Canal Street in 1997
The image on the left shows a cracked window in Greenwich Village in 1979. The image on the right shows a snowy Brooklyn in 1979
‘Visually, it’s a combination of being in the right place at the right time and my street shooter instincts kicking in,’ Rothstein told In-Public.com.
‘Being a native New Yorker, I feel that my city is the greatest stage in the world for street photography.
‘It’s uniqueness, high energy level, and diversity of people and architecture make for a constant stream of subject matter.’
Rothstein said he was inspired to take up photography because he wanted to shoot pictures of the stands at Mets and Yankees games.
He bought a camera, went to work for his university newspaper, and then branched out.
‘Street photography has been my creative outlet for many years though it can be a very frustrating endeavor,’ he said.
‘Obviously, the failure rate is pretty high, so I’ve learned over the years not to have big expectations when I go out shooting.
‘But when I get into a zone, and things are happening on the street, it really makes my day.’