Brooklyn native Jeff Rothstein is known for his timeless black-and-white street photography of New York City, which he’s been shooting since the late 1960s. However, the photographer’s work in color is equally revealing, showcasing a different side of the city he calls home.
His vintage color photography, taken on color slide film from the 1980s to 1991, offers an interesting glimpse into Manhattan’s urban fabric. Unlike his monochrome images, which heavily feature the city’s citizens, Rothstein’s color photography focuses on urban details, such as signage and architectural elements. Taken in Manhattan’s most well-known downtown neighborhoods, from the Meatpacking District to Greenwich Village, it’s a fascinating perspective on the city.
Taken together with his black-and-white photography, Rothstein’s color works help paint a complete picture of the dynamic city. Because, while he prefers shooting in black and white (and continues to convert his digital images to monochrome today), Rothstein can’t deny that color offers something unique.
By bringing the viewers into his world, Rothstein transports us to a different, grittier New York City that has largely vanished. In preserving his own experiences, he has frozen this moment in time for all to enjoy.
“My goal is to make the viewer feel that they’re on the street with me, right in the middle of the chaos and theater. The images in this feature are of a city that now exists only in memories,” he tells My Modern Met. “But they will be shared by all of us who have known the city intimately or casually or even remotely and vicariously. The photos are a record of history through a local eye. All shot on film, they are evocative of the time and place of a bygone era, imbued with a timeless quality.”
Jeff Rothstein’s color street photography of New York City, taken in the 1980s, offers a rare glimpse of a grittier city.
His work focuses on urban details, such as signage and architectural elements.
