Larry Racioppo Documentary, Issue 133, Projects

Return Visit to NYC

In 1969 I was a VISTA Volunteer in rural California, and had a few friends dabbling in photography who shared their interest with me.

One of them lent me a 35mm Petri Rangefinder camera and a few rolls of black and white film for my visit home to Brooklyn. I took the camera everywhere I went in New York City and really enjoyed “taking pictures.” 

Back in California, my friends showed me how to process the film and make prints. I liked the results, and my casual interest in photography morphed into a passion, and later a career.

I recently found an envelope with some of these 1969 negatives. Not knowing any better back then, I cut out individual negative of the images I liked and threw the rest away.

Last month I began scanning these negatives and making prints. I was pleasantly surprised to see that some of them are pretty decent, and a few eerily similar to the work I went on to do.

I began with my family and neighbors in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.

My cousins Kathy, John and Michael – 40th Street
John on the fire escape windowsill – 40th Street
John and Michael in 1980 – 36th Street
My father around the corner – 40th Street
My brother Robert – 40th Street
Boy sitting on a football – 40th Street
Graffiti near the subway – 36th Street
Pete, my Aunt Lucy’s tenant – Fourth Avenue

One day I borrowed my father’s car and drove out to Bay Ridge to photograph the Verrazano Bridge. I continued on to Plum Beach, a few miles farther east.

Nun walking along the Narrows path – Bay Ridge, BKN
Pilings and fence on Plum Beach – Sheepshead Bay, BKN

Another day I took the subway to Manhattan, and photographed people randomly as I walked around. 

Subway conductor looking out his window
Woman in a Salvation Army Uniform – Midtown

As I waited on a corner for the traffic light to change, I occasionally photographed the person standing right next to me.

Woman waiting to cross the street – Midtown
Man waiting to cross the street – Midtown

I went to Central Park.

Hot dog vendor – Fifth Avenue
Seal feeding time at the zoo – Central Park
Young girl in a tree – Central Park

And to the Bronx Botanical Garden.

Couple looking at plants
Couple relaxing on a bench

And to an arcade near Times Square

Couple playing an arcade game
Fortune Teller machine

Out of these early photographs this portrait of a maintenance worker is my favorite. He was one of the few people I asked directly if I could take his picture. When he said OK, I made two exposures.

Maintenance Worker – Midtown

 “Collaborating” with my subjects by asking permission to photograph them, and then taking several exposures while engaging directly with them became my standard way of working.

Worker with a chipping hammer, 1995 – Brooklyn

While scanning these cut up negatives, I remembered that, after properly processing my first two rolls of film, I made a mistake with the third and last NYC roll. Instead of opening the small cap on the top of the developing tank to pour in the developer, I removed the top itself – exposing and ruining my film.

Developing tank and reels

Thinking of all the places and people I photographed as I rushed around the city with my borrowed camera, I wonder what was on that roll…

Me with my Petri camera, 1969 – Brooklyn

More from Larry Racioppo

  • My WideLux F7 – An aging street photographer laments the impending demise of a special camera (article)
  • Illuminating the Past – Larry Racioppo’s reflections on his extensive archive of photographs (SPM Podcast)