Brooklyn Babes

There has been quite some buzz lately about Bruce Davidson, and his 1950's 'Brooklyn Gang' photos.



"Davidson’s 1959 project Brooklyn Gang is an intimate photographic study of a rebellious Brooklyn teenage gang, who called themselves The Jokers. Davidson was able to document their candid manifestations of worry, energy, enthusiasm, anger, and occasional sadness. The gang seemed to exist in their own secluded world, meandering from Coney Island to diners and taxicabs, anxiously moving forward with an unknown future and unknown goals. Some of them were even thoroughly troubled: one member died from a heroin overdose a few years after Davidson left them. Not only is Davidson’s work a sincere portrayal of troubled teenagers coming of age, but it also acts as a documentation of teenage life during 1950s, exposing the emotional climate of that time period and exposing the dark side of a supposedly innocent time period."

These are some amazing photos.











I love the overall look of these - they are gritty, sexy, teenage angsty, and dare I say 'cool'? (Get me a pencil skirt and big Brigitte Bardot hair, stat!) The photos remind me of the photography for the Richard Barnes book Mods. I have that book kicking around from when I was in a 'Mod' phase in high school. I'll have to dig it out and share.

I do have a slight obsession with New York / Brooklyn in the 50's because of the Abstract Impressionism movement, beat poets, and down beat jazz. Bruce Davidson is now added to that list.