the Thomas Ager Portfolio

NYC Streets and Beyond 1975 -1980

35MM

Fat Man (Midtown Manhattan, 1975)

Fat Man (Midtown Manhattan, 1975)

Beautiful Skin (Manhattan, 1975)

Beautiful Skin (Manhattan, 1975)

Two Men (Manhattan, 1975)

Two Men (Manhattan, 1975)

Restore Death Penalty (Avenue of the Americas, NYC, 1975)

Restore Death Penalty (Avenue of the Americas, NYC, 1975)

Wall Street Preachers (NYC, 1975)

Wall Street Preachers (NYC, 1975)

Outside OTB (Sayonara), Manhattan, 1975

Outside OTB (Sayonara), Manhattan, 1975

Empty Foyer, 5th Avenue (Manhattan, 1977)

Empty Foyer, 5th Avenue (Manhattan, 1977)

Easter Parade (Manhattan, 1976)

Easter Parade (Manhattan, 1976)

Four Brothers (Easter Parade, Manhattan, 1975)

Four Brothers (Easter Parade, Manhattan, 1975)

Block Party (Brooklyn, 1976)

Block Party (Brooklyn, 1976)

Lunch hour concert at City Hall, Brooklyn, 1976

Lunch hour concert at City Hall, Brooklyn, 1976

Under the El (Brooklyn, 1976)

Under the El (Brooklyn, 1976)

St. Francis & the Animals (Chelsea, 1976)

St. Francis & the Animals (Chelsea, 1976)

Brooklyn Baby Buggies, 1975

Brooklyn Baby Buggies, 1975

Noon Recess in Chelsea (NYC, 1976)

Noon Recess in Chelsea (NYC, 1976)

Italian Bakery, Little Italy (Manhattan, 1976)

Italian Bakery, Little Italy (Manhattan, 1976)

Lebanese Restaurant, Brooklyn (1975)

Lebanese Restaurant, Brooklyn (1975)

Fashion Window Murder (Madison Avenue, 1976)

Fashion Window Murder (Madison Avenue, 1976)

Look Inside (Manhattan, 1975)

Look Inside (Manhattan, 1975)

Atlantic Avenue Dancers (Brooklyn, 1976)

Atlantic Avenue Dancers (Brooklyn, 1976)

By the Throat (Madison Avenue, NYC, 1975)

By the Throat (Madison Avenue, NYC, 1975)

Fashion Window with Old Lady (Manhattan, 1976)

Fashion Window with Old Lady (Manhattan, 1976)

Fashion Window (Madison Avenue, NYC, 1975)

Fashion Window (Madison Avenue, NYC, 1975)

Conversation Balloon (Brooklyn, 1976)

Conversation Balloon (Brooklyn, 1976)

Clotheslines (Staten Island, 1976)

Clotheslines (Staten Island, 1976)

Green-Wood Cemetery (Brooklyn, 1975)

Green-Wood Cemetery (Brooklyn, 1975)

Succoth Night Wind Storm (Brooklyn, 1976)

Succoth Night Wind Storm (Brooklyn, 1976)

Frozen Lake, Thanksgiving Day (Morristown, NJ, 1979)

Frozen Lake, Thanksgiving Day (Morristown, NJ, 1979)

Closed for the Winter (Coney Island, 1976)

Closed for the Winter (Coney Island, 1976)

Coney Island Carnival (1976)

Coney Island Carnival (1976)

Construction Site (NYC, 1975)

Construction Site (NYC, 1975)

Hoboken Station (Hoboken, NJ, 1977)

Hoboken Station (Hoboken, NJ, 1977)

Christina's World (Staten Island, 1976)

Christina's World (Staten Island, 1976)

Screen Door Landscape (Upstate NY, 1978)

Screen Door Landscape (Upstate NY, 1978)

Tall Ships Bi-Centennial: Crowd with Ruler (July 4th, 1976, NYC)

Tall Ships Bi-Centennial: Crowd with Ruler (July 4th, 1976, NYC)

Tall Ships Bi-Centennial: Crowd (July 4th, 1976, NYC)

Tall Ships Bi-Centennial: Crowd (July 4th, 1976, NYC)

Tall Ships Bi-Centennial: Lolita (July 4th, 1976, NYC)

Tall Ships Bi-Centennial: Lolita (July 4th, 1976, NYC)

Tall Ships, Crowd in Scrim (Lower Manhattan, 4th of July 1976)

Tall Ships, Crowd in Scrim (Lower Manhattan, 4th of July 1976)

Tall Ships Bi-Centennial: Child with Balloon (Manhattan, 4th of July 1976)

Tall Ships Bi-Centennial: Child with Balloon (Manhattan, 4th of July 1976)

Sam Rivers, Washington Square (4th of July, 1976)

Sam Rivers, Washington Square (4th of July, 1976)

Asleep with Antiques (Manhattan, 1975)

Asleep with Antiques (Manhattan, 1975)

Girl in the Wind (Staten Island, 1976)

Girl in the Wind (Staten Island, 1976)

Butcher Shop (Boston, 1975)

Butcher Shop (Boston, 1975)

Taped Claws (Boston, 1975)

Taped Claws (Boston, 1975)

Mother's Day (Manhattan, 1975)

Mother's Day (Manhattan, 1975)

Dressing Room Wait (Loehmann's, Bayside, NY, 1978)

Dressing Room Wait (Loehmann's, Bayside, NY, 1978)

Newstand on East 4th St. (Photography Generation Takes Over), Manhattan, 1975

Newstand on East 4th St. (Photography Generation Takes Over), Manhattan, 1975

Photography Generation Takes Over (Village Voice, 1975)

Photography Generation Takes Over (Village Voice, 1975)

Book Store (Manhattan, 1977)

Book Store (Manhattan, 1977)

Happy Birthday America (Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, 1976)

Happy Birthday America (Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, 1976)

Man Walking Dogs, Fifth Avenue (Manhattan, 1975)

Man Walking Dogs, Fifth Avenue (Manhattan, 1975)

Virgin Mary (East Village, NYC, 1976

Virgin Mary (East Village, NYC, 1976

Babysitters (City Island, NY, 1976)

Babysitters (City Island, NY, 1976)

City Island, 1976

City Island, 1976

City Island, 1976

City Island, 1976

City Island, 1976

City Island, 1976

City Island, 1976

City Island, 1976

City Island, 1976

City Island, 1976

Boy Jumping from Wall, City Island, 1976

Boy Jumping from Wall, City Island, 1976

See the Long Day’s Journey Into Night webpage for a discussion of this photograph.

Peter Bellamy, City Island 1976

Peter Bellamy, City Island 1976

Peter Bellamy, City Island 1976

Peter Bellamy, City Island 1976

Peter Bellamy takes Portrait, City Island 1976

Peter Bellamy takes Portrait, City Island 1976

NY Yacht Club, Peter Bellamy at Debutante Ball (1976)

NY Yacht Club, Peter Bellamy at Debutante Ball (1976)

Self-portrait in Tuxedo with Handmade Marimba, our Apartment in Brooklyn, 1976

Self-portrait in Tuxedo with Handmade Marimba, our Apartment in Brooklyn, 1976

Taken just before going to Peter Bellamy’s sister’s Debutante Ball at the NY Yacht Club (see previous photographs).

Famous Model, F-Train (NYC, 1975)

Famous Model, F-Train (NYC, 1975)

Horn & Hardart, Midtown Manhattan, 1976

Horn & Hardart, Midtown Manhattan, 1976

Clown and Young Boy

Clown and Young Boy

Midtown Manhattan, NYC, 1976

Share with Others (Manhattan, 1975)

Share with Others (Manhattan, 1975)

Red Grooms Exhibition, Manhattan Rooftop, 1976

Red Grooms Exhibition, Manhattan Rooftop, 1976

Andrew Cyrille (Fat Tuesdays, Manhattan, 1979)

Andrew Cyrille (Fat Tuesdays, Manhattan, 1979)

Andrew Cyrille at NYU Concert, Manhattan, 1977

Andrew Cyrille at NYU Concert, Manhattan, 1977

Ladji Camara's Studio #1 (Fort Apache, the Bronx, 1979)

Ladji Camara's Studio #1 (Fort Apache, the Bronx, 1979)

Ladji Camara's Studio, Woman Dancing #2 (Fort Apache, the Bronx, 1979)

Ladji Camara's Studio, Woman Dancing #2 (Fort Apache, the Bronx, 1979)

Ladji Camara Studio, Man Dancing (Fort Apache the Bronx, 1979)

Ladji Camara Studio, Man Dancing (Fort Apache the Bronx, 1979)

Ladji Camara's Studio #2 (Fort Apache, the Bronx, 1979)

Ladji Camara's Studio #2 (Fort Apache, the Bronx, 1979)

Ladji Camara's Studio, Woman Dancing #1 (Fort Apache, the Bronx, 1979)

Ladji Camara's Studio, Woman Dancing #1 (Fort Apache, the Bronx, 1979)

Anthony Braxton, Studio Rivbea Festival (Sam Rivers' Loft, E. Bond St., NYC, 1976)

Anthony Braxton, Studio Rivbea Festival (Sam Rivers' Loft, E. Bond St., NYC, 1976)

Anthony Braxton with Dave Holland and Philip Wilson, Studio Rivbea Festival (Sam Rivers' Loft, E. Bond St., NYC, 1976)

Anthony Braxton with Dave Holland and Philip Wilson, Studio Rivbea Festival (Sam Rivers' Loft, E. Bond St., NYC, 1976)

Fat Man (Midtown Manhattan, 1975)

Beautiful Skin (Manhattan, 1975)

Two Men (Manhattan, 1975)

Wall Street Preachers (NYC, 1975)

Outside OTB (Sayonara), Manhattan, 1975

Empty Foyer, 5th Avenue (Manhattan, 1977)

Easter Parade (Manhattan, 1976)

Four Brothers (Easter Parade, Manhattan, 1975)

Brooklyn Baby Buggies, 1975

Noon Recess in Chelsea (NYC, 1976)

Italian Bakery, Little Italy (Manhattan, 1976)

Lebanese Restaurant, Brooklyn (1975)

Fashion Window Murder (Madison Avenue, 1976)

Look Inside (Manhattan, 1975)

Atlantic Avenue Dancers (Brooklyn, 1976)

Fashion Window with Old Lady (Manhattan, 1976)

Clotheslines (Staten Island, 1976)

Green-Wood Cemetery (Brooklyn, 1975)

Succoth Night Wind Storm (Brooklyn, 1976)

Frozen Lake, Thanksgiving Day (Morristown, NJ, 1979)

Closed for the Winter (Coney Island, 1976)

Coney Island Carnival (1976)

Construction Site (NYC, 1975)

Hoboken Station (Hoboken, NJ, 1977)

Christina's World (Staten Island, 1976)

Screen Door Landscape (Upstate NY, 1978)

Tall Ships Bi-Centennial: Crowd with Ruler (July 4th, 1976, NYC)

Tall Ships Bi-Centennial: Crowd (July 4th, 1976, NYC)

Tall Ships Bi-Centennial: Lolita (July 4th, 1976, NYC)

Tall Ships, Crowd in Scrim (Lower Manhattan, 4th of July 1976)

Tall Ships Bi-Centennial: Child with Balloon (Manhattan, 4th of July 1976)

Sam Rivers, Washington Square (4th of July, 1976)

Asleep with Antiques (Manhattan, 1975)

Girl in the Wind (Staten Island, 1976)

Butcher Shop (Boston, 1975)

Taped Claws (Boston, 1975)

Mother's Day (Manhattan, 1975)

Dressing Room Wait (Loehmann's, Bayside, NY, 1978)

Newstand on East 4th St. (Photography Generation Takes Over), Manhattan, 1975

Book Store (Manhattan, 1977)

Happy Birthday America (Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, 1976)

Virgin Mary (East Village, NYC, 1976

Babysitters (City Island, NY, 1976)

Boy Jumping from Wall, City Island, 1976

Peter Bellamy, City Island 1976

Peter Bellamy, City Island 1976

Peter Bellamy takes Portrait, City Island 1976

NY Yacht Club, Peter Bellamy at Debutante Ball (1976)

Self-portrait in Tuxedo with Handmade Marimba, our Apartment in Brooklyn, 1976

Famous Model, F-Train (NYC, 1975)

Horn & Hardart, Midtown Manhattan, 1976

Share with Others (Manhattan, 1975)

Red Grooms Exhibition, Manhattan Rooftop, 1976

Andrew Cyrille at NYU Concert, Manhattan, 1977

Ladji Camara Studio, Man Dancing (Fort Apache the Bronx, 1979)

Ladji Camara's Studio, Woman Dancing #1 (Fort Apache, the Bronx, 1979)

Anthony Braxton with Dave Holland and Philip Wilson, Studio Rivbea Festival (Sam Rivers' Loft, E. Bond St., NYC, 1976)

These photographs were made on the streets of New York City (all five boroughs), City Island, upstate New York, New Jersey, and Boston from 1975 to 1980. Some of them helped me win the competition for a Ford Foundation Grant while I was studying with Paul McDonough, Bill Gedney, Phil Perkis and Todd Papageorge at Pratt Institute. I graduated from Pratt on the President’s List and went on to a career in medical photography, film and video production. (I created the first, NY state-accredited medical photography program at Pratt while I was there.) These are scans of my original 11x14 gelatin-silver prints. All were printed on either Kodak Polycontrast or Agfa Brovira papers (hence the variety in tonality to the photographs). All film was developed using the Edwal FG7, 2-bath process for the maximum in contrast ratio. Please note that the title of each image appears or disappears in the lower left corner as you “hover” over the image with your cursor.