The 1970s had a unique vitality and aesthetic imprint unlike any other decade before or since. Jack Garofalo

(1923-2004), an accomplished street photographer for Paris Match magazine, spent the summer of 1970

documenting the vibrant life of Harlem, a neighborhood that was undergoing an existential crisis at the time.

Harlem in the 1970s was undergoing an exodus, as anyone who could was moving to other neighborhoods in

New York to escape the neighborhood’s poor infrastructure and crime. Some stayed because they couldn’t move

out, while others stayed because they wanted to. But despite the difficulties, the neighborhood was an

undeniably vibrant place.

Garofalo’s photos are like a time machine, taking you back to a place and time that you’ve never seen and

never will (unless you were there, too). Take a look!

Vibrant Life Of 1970s Harlem In Street Photos By Jack Garofalo