It was the year the nation celebrated the bicentennial. In New York, Abe Beame was mayor, and President Gerald Ford, who would lose the election to Jimmy Carter in November, had just months earlier refused to provide financial assistance to a city in the midst of the worst financial crisis in its history. New York City’s street life often reflected the paradox of the revelry and agony of the time, and photographer Stephen Nadler set his sights on Little Italy, capturing images of its denizens in black and white during this tumultuous period.
From June 12 to August 16, the Italian American Museum will present Nadler’s work in an exhibit entitled “A Moment in Time: The People of Little Italy in 1976.” The exhibit includes 30 images taken with a Mamiya C330 with a 2¼ format. The images have been digitized and printed on Canson Platine Fibre Rag photographic paper with Epson Ultrachrome K3 ink. The Museum is open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 6 PM.
“I started out thinking only about photographing the physical area and wound up making friends and hearing wonderful stories,” said Nadler. “I think the reason I was so drawn to this neighborhood and its people is that it felt very much like my old neighborhood. Hanging out there brought back so many wonderful memories of my youth, spent on street corners, with my friends watching the world stroll by.”
About Stephen Nadler:
Steve Nadler Photography specializes in both fine art and commercial photography. In 2007, Nadler retired from the telecommunications industry, after 37 years in sales and marketing management. Prior to his retirement, he was enrolled in the Digital Photography Certificate Program at Rhode Island School of Design.
About Italian American Museum:
Founded in 2001, the Italian American Museum is dedicated to exploring the rich cultural heritage of Italy and Italian Americans by presenting the individual and collective struggles and achievements of Italians and their heirs to the American way of life. The Museum received its provisional charter from the New York State Board of Regents on June 12, 2001 and is a 501(c) (3) organization.
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