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Bruce Davidson: Subway
Bruce Davidson's groundbreaking Subway, first published by Aperture in 1986, has garnered critical acclaim both as a documentation of a unique moment in the cultural fabric of New York City and for its phenomenal use of extremes of color and shadow set against flash-lit skin. In Davidson's own words, the people in the subway, their flesh juxtaposed against the graffiti, the penetrating effect of the strobe light itself, and even the hollow darkness of the tunnels, inspired an aesthetic that goes unnoticed by passengers who are trapped underground, hiding behind masks and closed off from each other. In this third edition of what is now a classic of photographic literature, a sequence of 118 (including 25 previously unpublished) images transport the viewer through a landscape at times menacing, and at other times lyrical and soulful. The images present the full gamut of New Yorkers, from weary straphangers and languorous ladies in summer dresses to stalking predators and homeless persons. Davidson's accompanying text tells the story behind the images, clarifying his method and dramatizing his obsession with the subway, its rhythms and its particular madness.
135 pages, Hardcover
First published January 2, 1980
202 people want to read
About the author
Bruce Davidson
77 books16 followersBruce Davidson (born September 5, 1933 in Oak Park, Illinois) is an American photographer. He has been a member of the Magnum Photos agency since 1958. His photographs, notably those taken in Harlem, New York City, have been widely exhibited and published.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
September 25, 2021
This is a coffee-table size book of photographs by Bruce Davidson taken in the NY subway system in the mid-1980s when the city was at its peak of social disintegration and chaos, prior to the era of gentrification ushered in by the Giuliani and later Bloomberg administrations, 20 years of Republican rule that effectively transformed the city, perhaps made it blander, but much safer. The gains in safety meant the city became more desirable as a place to live, and the well-heeled that thronged in drove up rents, which led to the displacement of probably millions of working class and minority residents who were replaced by mostly white better-off newcomers, commonly known as the yuppies. In this book of photographs, the frightening grit of the era of decay that began in the 70s and extended through the 1980s, is still in effect - subway cars are covered with graffiti, the housing stock has yet to be transformed with the new construction, and neighborhoods are filled with crumbling structures that were probably built in the late 19th or early 20th Centuries. The city was not yet targeted by the developers who have descended on every corner of NYC the past 30 years or so and turned it into a renewed, tidy, yet quite expensive wonderland for the well-off. Having never left NYC, I can attest to the decline and later upswing of NYC. The decline was indeed frightening because it was marked by crime - yet the price structure of rent, food, restaurants, etc., was such that a person earning a modest paycheck could enjoy a fairly good and indeed interesting life (as long as they avoided the crime-ridden areas or took care wherever they went - that was a constant refrain in those days: ¨Take care¨ or ¨Safe home¨). It was possible to have a fairly interesting life on a modest paycheck because rents were still so low, and food prices also low including restaurant prices. At one point, the price of a ticket to even prestige entertainment venues such as the City Opera at Lincoln Center, or a ticket to the NY Film Festival, were extremely cheap. That began to change as the city became more expensive; meanwhile, the City Opera eventually folded. In general, the city was cheap once - hard to believe since rents now are sky-high, in fact NYC is the most expensive city in the country with respect to rent. And restaurant prices - for example at moderate Italian restaurants or even diners - are no longer cheap. The yuppies and trustafarians somehow have no problem living in NY these days but I suspect that millions are just getting by - because pay has not risen commensurate to the increases in rents and cost of living in general. In order for a worker to afford the current median rent in NYC (around $2850/mo) a worker in order not to be rent-burdened - that is, a worker paying around 25% of their pay to rent - would have to make well over 100K a year. Since that level of pay is beyond the reach of many New Yorkers, they double up - or become severely rent-burdened. Or eventually leave -priced out of the city. And so it´s a certainty that at least of the population in the photographs of NY in the 1980s has departed as neighborhoods gentrified, or people eventually fled the crime and chaos. The photographs were a trip down memory lane - since I spent quite a bit of time commuting to work on the subway, etc., and even commuted to high school on the train - although that was back in the 1960s when the city was still relatively safe. I remember some of the old ads - especially the ubiquitous cigarette ads - that were plastered all over the trains, and many of the trends/styles of that era, when people had not completely reverted to a constant casual look. Of course, the youthquake of the 1960s meant that the jeans, T-shirt, and sneakers uniform of youth was in effect, and many of the photos are of young people - but there were still women wearing shirt-dresses, skirts, businessmen in suits. Styles had changed greatly since the 1950s or even early 1960s but society had not yet completely given up on trying to make an impression through clothing styles by the 1980s. Although I may be wrong about what people wear these days; perhaps some do dress to impress, but most of the people I see walking around these days either are in the jeans uniform (or some variation of it) or otherwise wearing some understated outfit. Anyway, this book was really a glimpse back in time which I remember very well, but not necessarily as a great time in NY. Affordable, yes; safe, not really.
The quality of the photos is exceptional and even though I thought I used to follow photography exhibits at museums like the International Center of Photography and the Museum of Modern Art, Bruce Davidson´s name was not actually familiar to me. The story of how he became obsessed with the subway photograph project is interesting - he was eventually robbed of his camera on one subway trip - and actually, I wish I had roamed the subway lines the way he did, but I must say I just regarded the train as a means to get places rather than a system to be explored for itself. As the photos show, the trains were not only covered in graffiti, they were incredibly dirty. But that was part of the scene of NY in general. And still is to some extent - although since then things improved with respect to tidiness. I´ll continue with this review later.
Here are the quotes.
From the introductory essay by Fred Braithwaite aka Fab 5 Freddy:
¨When in the subway, what is beautiful appears bestial, and what is bestial becomes beautiful,¨ is how he saw it.¨
¨The city was a lot more polarized along racial lines back then. Any young black or Latino male was often seen as a potential threat -- from the death of Michael Stewart at the bare hands of police for writing on a subway wall, to Bernard Goetz shooting four unarmed black youths who approached him on a subway train in 1984, leaving Darryl Cabey paralyzed. Goetz became the poster boy for vigilante justice back then, and the city was divided between those who supported his actions and people like me, a young black man who could have been on that train, minding my own business and a target as well.¨
From Bruce Davidson´s essay ¨Train of Thought:¨
¨I would see the packed cars of the subway as cattle cars, filled with people, each face staring or withdrawn with the fear of its unknown destiny.¨
¨One day I was riding the LL-14th Street line that runs between 8th Avenue in Manhattan and Rockaway Parkway in the Canarsie area of Brooklyn. This subway runs underground in both boroughs, with many stops, taking close to an hour before it comes up out of the total darkness of the tunnel and runs for a few seconds alongside an old cemetery, then dips back down into the dark tunnel. I often took this route to photograph the tombstones passing outside the window, while including train passengers who were unaware that they looked as if they´d risen from these graves.¨
Some photographs that seemed especially notable: On page 28, a photo through a subway window of what appears to be the F train in Brooklyn, looking toward the skyline of Manhattan, with the World Trade Center gleaming in the morning light - taller than any of the buildings around it. In one corner of the photo a seated young woman, looking already tired, already played out by life - with makeup that can barely disguise her tiredness, has turned to face the photographer. At least she has a seat on the train, since the trip along that line into the city is ¨endless.¨ On page 30, a photo probably taken at some point along the same trip on the F train, a view of the Manhattan skyline, but this time taken from a train platform, with the view framed by the intensely saturated blue-painted steel I-beam supporting pillar and blue painted wall, upon which is scrawled the inevitable graffiti tags in black magic marker. In this shot, from such a great distance, the skyline is perfectly in focus - from miles away - as is the subway platform infrastructure just inches away; such that details of the facade of the World Trade Center are clearly visible, despite the haze of air pollution. On page 31, a night or deep twilight scene - possibly from the 7 line, looking toward Midtown, with the Empire State Building illuminated in pristine white - years or decades before the lighting system was changed so that various colors/themes according to the holidays etc., could be produced. Also, years before ¨competing¨ skyscrapers emerged to challenge and crowd what was once the tallest building in NYC (before the WTC was completed). In the left foreground, a train is heading away from the City, setting up a dialog with the illuminated Empire State building at the upper right. The entire scene is a study in deep blue shades, quite amazingly beautiful. On page 35 there's a photograph of a young black man with a large boombox slung over his shoulder, nattily/fashionably dressed in a black and white zip-up warm-up jacket, wearing the large-frame glasses of the era. He is standing in front of a subway ad poster frame, from which the ad has been removed, leaving the characteristic matte black background left when no posters were displayed, upon which a characteristic chalk drawing of Keith Haring appears, a drawing which includes a dog, a man doing a handstand, and another man with his hands on his head. No doubt this was one of the hundreds of drawings Haring, who later became quite famous for these drawings, produced in the subway system between 1980-85.
The quality of the photos is exceptional and even though I thought I used to follow photography exhibits at museums like the International Center of Photography and the Museum of Modern Art, Bruce Davidson´s name was not actually familiar to me. The story of how he became obsessed with the subway photograph project is interesting - he was eventually robbed of his camera on one subway trip - and actually, I wish I had roamed the subway lines the way he did, but I must say I just regarded the train as a means to get places rather than a system to be explored for itself. As the photos show, the trains were not only covered in graffiti, they were incredibly dirty. But that was part of the scene of NY in general. And still is to some extent - although since then things improved with respect to tidiness. I´ll continue with this review later.
Here are the quotes.
From the introductory essay by Fred Braithwaite aka Fab 5 Freddy:
¨When in the subway, what is beautiful appears bestial, and what is bestial becomes beautiful,¨ is how he saw it.¨
¨The city was a lot more polarized along racial lines back then. Any young black or Latino male was often seen as a potential threat -- from the death of Michael Stewart at the bare hands of police for writing on a subway wall, to Bernard Goetz shooting four unarmed black youths who approached him on a subway train in 1984, leaving Darryl Cabey paralyzed. Goetz became the poster boy for vigilante justice back then, and the city was divided between those who supported his actions and people like me, a young black man who could have been on that train, minding my own business and a target as well.¨
From Bruce Davidson´s essay ¨Train of Thought:¨
¨I would see the packed cars of the subway as cattle cars, filled with people, each face staring or withdrawn with the fear of its unknown destiny.¨
¨One day I was riding the LL-14th Street line that runs between 8th Avenue in Manhattan and Rockaway Parkway in the Canarsie area of Brooklyn. This subway runs underground in both boroughs, with many stops, taking close to an hour before it comes up out of the total darkness of the tunnel and runs for a few seconds alongside an old cemetery, then dips back down into the dark tunnel. I often took this route to photograph the tombstones passing outside the window, while including train passengers who were unaware that they looked as if they´d risen from these graves.¨
Some photographs that seemed especially notable: On page 28, a photo through a subway window of what appears to be the F train in Brooklyn, looking toward the skyline of Manhattan, with the World Trade Center gleaming in the morning light - taller than any of the buildings around it. In one corner of the photo a seated young woman, looking already tired, already played out by life - with makeup that can barely disguise her tiredness, has turned to face the photographer. At least she has a seat on the train, since the trip along that line into the city is ¨endless.¨ On page 30, a photo probably taken at some point along the same trip on the F train, a view of the Manhattan skyline, but this time taken from a train platform, with the view framed by the intensely saturated blue-painted steel I-beam supporting pillar and blue painted wall, upon which is scrawled the inevitable graffiti tags in black magic marker. In this shot, from such a great distance, the skyline is perfectly in focus - from miles away - as is the subway platform infrastructure just inches away; such that details of the facade of the World Trade Center are clearly visible, despite the haze of air pollution. On page 31, a night or deep twilight scene - possibly from the 7 line, looking toward Midtown, with the Empire State Building illuminated in pristine white - years or decades before the lighting system was changed so that various colors/themes according to the holidays etc., could be produced. Also, years before ¨competing¨ skyscrapers emerged to challenge and crowd what was once the tallest building in NYC (before the WTC was completed). In the left foreground, a train is heading away from the City, setting up a dialog with the illuminated Empire State building at the upper right. The entire scene is a study in deep blue shades, quite amazingly beautiful. On page 35 there's a photograph of a young black man with a large boombox slung over his shoulder, nattily/fashionably dressed in a black and white zip-up warm-up jacket, wearing the large-frame glasses of the era. He is standing in front of a subway ad poster frame, from which the ad has been removed, leaving the characteristic matte black background left when no posters were displayed, upon which a characteristic chalk drawing of Keith Haring appears, a drawing which includes a dog, a man doing a handstand, and another man with his hands on his head. No doubt this was one of the hundreds of drawings Haring, who later became quite famous for these drawings, produced in the subway system between 1980-85.
December 29, 2024
one of the best photo books I've read so far. incredible photographs, fantastic composition, very fucking ballsy.
September 21, 2019
Incredibly powerful series of images. My favorite photo series of all time. Worth the price alone for the introduction and forward.
October 10, 2016
A look back at a time when the subway was covered in graffiti. There are some powerful images here. Definitely worth looking at.
January 9, 2023
This gorgeous and lush collection of photographs depicts a city in the midst of the AIDS crisis, white flights, wealth stratification, urban decay, the changing of generations and burgeoning arts movements that would have a fanatical impact over the next decades. Davidson's photographs focus on the Subway, the lifeblood of the city, a place where all becomes equal, both in beauty, discomfort and danger.
While some of Davidson's photograph don't impact me as much as others, the best are so personal, so poignant and so beautiful. They tell an amazing story of what NYC in the 80's looked like.
While some of Davidson's photograph don't impact me as much as others, the best are so personal, so poignant and so beautiful. They tell an amazing story of what NYC in the 80's looked like.
January 17, 2020
Each photo acts as a line of poetry narrating, with superb realism, a riveting tale of the New York subway in the early 80's. The protagonist being the people, situations, and emotions that were captured by photographer Bruce Davidson. I was captivated by the forward written by Bruce describing his artistic process, vision, and emotional journey during the early years of the 1980's in which these photos were captured. Beautiful.
February 13, 2020
The images are spectacular but the quality of the book did not do them justice.
March 13, 2020
Some great photos. Made even better by the accompanying text from Bruce describing his process and some of the trials along the way.
August 9, 2025
If you can find a copy, Grab It! It really is as good as everyone says…
October 16, 2025
CCC Graz 2025
September 30, 2010
First book by Bruce I found years ago, since then I got hooked to his images. His thoughts and his emotions about people and places in his works are just stunning. Subway and East 100th street are some of the few photography books I truly enjoy.
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July 23, 2011Very 1980s, graffiti all over the place & cigarette ads instead of anti-smoking ads on the trains. If you miss pre-Giuliani NYC this will make you shed a few tears.....
January 5, 2012
photographs of NYC subway that are just incredible. i wish i could plaster my walls w/ them. so lovely.
April 19, 2012
A revelation. What a book.
November 29, 2013
The first photography book I bought and I'm still in love with it decades later. Amazing pictures and great writing including the stories of how Bruce captured the photos.
December 29, 2015
Dear Bruce, I will love you forever.
October 27, 2012
As good as it gets!
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews