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Street People: Invisible New York Made Visible
New York City, 1970s. Take a walk on the wild side.
1970s New York was a mecca for artists, writers, and musicians drawn to its vibrant energy and creative possibilities. It was also a place of grinding poverty and urban decay, where crime and violence were everyday realities and hope danced with despair.
In Street People: Invisible New York Made Visible, words and pictures intertwine to create a rare immersion into a world hiding in plain sight.
Prowl the nighttime streets with Margie — the drag queen who inspired more than fifty works by Andy Warhol — and Romeo, part-time mugger, full-time philosopher, and king of the corner of West 98th Street and Broadway. Set up shop at the crack of dawn with Morris as he assembles New York’s oldest newsstand, then spend the day with the denizens of his street corner society. Slip downtown and ride shotgun with amateur pimp and prostitute Frankie and Cookie on their first night out. Cross the bridge into Brooklyn to bear witness to Edward, the self-appointed Second Coming of Christ, here to bring down destruction on the human race.
This timeless portrayal of life on the margins is accompanied by stark black-and-white images that expose the grit and beauty of a city at its most raw and real.
Experience this classic, strikingly illustrated account of New York City’s forgotten people. Witness invisible New York made visible.
1970s New York was a mecca for artists, writers, and musicians drawn to its vibrant energy and creative possibilities. It was also a place of grinding poverty and urban decay, where crime and violence were everyday realities and hope danced with despair.
In Street People: Invisible New York Made Visible, words and pictures intertwine to create a rare immersion into a world hiding in plain sight.
Prowl the nighttime streets with Margie — the drag queen who inspired more than fifty works by Andy Warhol — and Romeo, part-time mugger, full-time philosopher, and king of the corner of West 98th Street and Broadway. Set up shop at the crack of dawn with Morris as he assembles New York’s oldest newsstand, then spend the day with the denizens of his street corner society. Slip downtown and ride shotgun with amateur pimp and prostitute Frankie and Cookie on their first night out. Cross the bridge into Brooklyn to bear witness to Edward, the self-appointed Second Coming of Christ, here to bring down destruction on the human race.
This timeless portrayal of life on the margins is accompanied by stark black-and-white images that expose the grit and beauty of a city at its most raw and real.
Experience this classic, strikingly illustrated account of New York City’s forgotten people. Witness invisible New York made visible.
- GenresNonfiction
448 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 29, 2022
About the author
David J. Bookbinder
21 books39 followersDavid J. Bookbinder is a life coach, writer, and photographer. He lives and works north of Boston, Massachusetts.
His award-winning Flower Mandala images were inspired by the paintings of Georgia O’Keeffe and the flower photographs of Harold Feinstein, with whom he briefly studied. David holds Masters degrees in Counseling Psychology and Creative Writing and is a regular presenter at the Creativity & Madness conference in Santa Fe, NM.
In addition to Street People: Invisible New York Made Visible and Street People Portfolio: Invisible New York Made Visual , he is the author of The Art of Balance: Staying Sane in an Insane World , Paths to Wholeness: Fifty-Two Flower Mandalas , two coloring books for adults based on his Flower Mandalas ( 52 Flower Mandalas and 52 (more) Flower Mandalas), as well as a book on American folk music and three books on computer software.
His award-winning Flower Mandala images were inspired by the paintings of Georgia O’Keeffe and the flower photographs of Harold Feinstein, with whom he briefly studied. David holds Masters degrees in Counseling Psychology and Creative Writing and is a regular presenter at the Creativity & Madness conference in Santa Fe, NM.
In addition to Street People: Invisible New York Made Visible and Street People Portfolio: Invisible New York Made Visual , he is the author of The Art of Balance: Staying Sane in an Insane World , Paths to Wholeness: Fifty-Two Flower Mandalas , two coloring books for adults based on his Flower Mandalas ( 52 Flower Mandalas and 52 (more) Flower Mandalas), as well as a book on American folk music and three books on computer software.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 7, 2022
Didn't care for it. Too much information about a few (not so interesting) people and less information about a variety of the street people he ran across. Be nice if the pictures had some relation to the text and were identified. I liked the pictures, thought it would be more pictures and less text.
July 23, 2026
Street People: Invisible New York Made Visible is a remarkable work of narrative nonfiction that restores humanity to people history too often overlooks.
What I appreciated most is David J. Bookbinder's compassionate perspective. Rather than observing his subjects from a distance, he allows them to speak through their lives, personalities, and everyday experiences. The result is a portrait of 1970s New York that feels intimate rather than historical, reminding readers that behind every face on the street is a story worth hearing.
One of the book's greatest strengths is the relationship between the photography and the writing. The striking black-and-white images deepen the emotional impact of the narratives, creating an immersive experience that brings readers into a city filled with both hardship and resilience. Together, the words and photographs preserve moments that might otherwise have been forgotten.
At its heart, Street People is about visibility. It challenges readers to look beyond assumptions and recognize the dignity, complexity, and individuality of people living on society's margins. Though rooted in a specific time and place, its message feels every bit as relevant today.
An unforgettable book for readers interested in documentary photography, urban history, journalism, and powerful stories that illuminate the humanity often hidden in plain sight.
What I appreciated most is David J. Bookbinder's compassionate perspective. Rather than observing his subjects from a distance, he allows them to speak through their lives, personalities, and everyday experiences. The result is a portrait of 1970s New York that feels intimate rather than historical, reminding readers that behind every face on the street is a story worth hearing.
One of the book's greatest strengths is the relationship between the photography and the writing. The striking black-and-white images deepen the emotional impact of the narratives, creating an immersive experience that brings readers into a city filled with both hardship and resilience. Together, the words and photographs preserve moments that might otherwise have been forgotten.
At its heart, Street People is about visibility. It challenges readers to look beyond assumptions and recognize the dignity, complexity, and individuality of people living on society's margins. Though rooted in a specific time and place, its message feels every bit as relevant today.
An unforgettable book for readers interested in documentary photography, urban history, journalism, and powerful stories that illuminate the humanity often hidden in plain sight.
August 14, 2022
Amazing Read
This was an amazing reading experience. Mr. Bookbinder makes a part of New York City's history come alive. He tells their stories with great compassion. It's a very interesting and thought provoking book.
This was an amazing reading experience. Mr. Bookbinder makes a part of New York City's history come alive. He tells their stories with great compassion. It's a very interesting and thought provoking book.
July 5, 2023
very interesting
This is a great book about a time that is really interesting to me. 70s and 80s NYC and the people who inhabited it have so many stories about such a crazy time. I highly suggest reading it if you share my interest with the city.
This is a great book about a time that is really interesting to me. 70s and 80s NYC and the people who inhabited it have so many stories about such a crazy time. I highly suggest reading it if you share my interest with the city.
March 7, 2023
Seeing the Unseen
A photo captures a moment in time; a journalist tells a story. David Bookbinder does both. He brings to life the most eccentric and engaging characters New York has to offer, folks most might pass by without a notice or thought, but Bookbinder sees then, hears them, accepts them, and invites the reader to do the same. He writes with the power of Studs Terkel and takes pictures with the poignancy of Dorothea Lange. This is a masterpiece.
A photo captures a moment in time; a journalist tells a story. David Bookbinder does both. He brings to life the most eccentric and engaging characters New York has to offer, folks most might pass by without a notice or thought, but Bookbinder sees then, hears them, accepts them, and invites the reader to do the same. He writes with the power of Studs Terkel and takes pictures with the poignancy of Dorothea Lange. This is a masterpiece.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews