No air conditioner…No cell phones…No computers…Less than a quarter century ago, people lived differently. In some ways worse, but if a slower paced life is good, then in many ways it was better.
All Photos © Matt Weber
Harlem Hotel 1985
All Photos © Matt Weber
Harlem Bar 1987
I use to drive up to Harlem in the morning after rush hour was over, and I remember feeling bad that she was already taking a nip so early in the day. I felt for her because I was also fucked up, and in no position to look down on anyone for anything. I’m still not…
All Photos © Matt Weber
Harlem 1987
Another brownstone which was converted into a church…
All Photos © Matt Weber
Weeping Willow…Harlem 1986
I thought that his was a good picture many years ago. Surprisingly, I still like it very much!
All Photos © Matt Weber
Harlem Gate 1987
All Photos © Matt Weber
Harlem 1988
There was a time when people were concerned with even the smallest details and never took the easy way out…
All Photos © Matt Weber
Harlem 1987
This store had been in business for at least forty years and was now crumbling and dealing with the crack epidemic. The Pepsi-Cola sign dates back to the 1940’s…
All Photos © Matt Weber
Harlem 1986
I’ve always liked Orange cats. I’m not sure why, but they have always liked me too…
All Photos © Matt Weber
Harlem 1987
A cat named Joe Sap once sold me a Blue Doberman many years ago. I named her Vicious. I tried bringing her with me in my taxi, but when passengers got in, she would peer over into the backseat and scare the hell out of them…I gave her away because it was cruel to leave her alone for twelve hour shifts…
All Photos © Matt Weber
“Urban Chaos” 1985
Knowing how unskilled I was with a camera back in 1985, it’s pretty amazing to me that I took this picture. I could return today, a quarter century later and not take a better one…
All Photos © Matt Weber
“Closed Forever” 1987
I passed this store in Spanish Harlem plenty of times before I decided to photograph it. I wonder how many times some poor store owner closed those squeaky gates, hoping to keep the local scoundrels from breaking in and making off with his wares…
All Photos © Matt Weber
Harlem Family 1988
When I think how much it takes to raise one child, I am in awe of mothers, many single, who have to raise three, four or more…
All Photos © Matt Weber
Harlem 1986
There are few pictures which didn’t make it into my book which I wish had, but each page cost almost $500 and decisions such as this were unavoidable…
All Photos © Matt Weber
“No Lottering on Stopp” Harlem 1987
Literacy was one way to tell the economic status of a given neighborhood. For years Harlem’s schools had been left behind in terms of funding, but recently some of the better charter schools have been established in Harlem and other poorer neighborhoods. I wonder what it would be like to look at the headlines on the Daily News and see indecipherable characters. It must be very depressing. The things we take for granted…
All Photos © Matt Weber
Harlem 1989
These stray dogs were acting like alley cats when I saw them up on this abandoned building’s ledge in Harlem…
All Photos © Matt Weber
Harlem 1986
All Photos © Matt Weber
Harlem 1988
All Photos © Matt Weber
Harlem 1985
All Photos © Matt Weber
Harlem 1987
All Photos © Matt Weber
‘Higher Goals” Harlem 1986
This was a large display of art with the message to the kids of Harlem, that you should have ‘Higher Goals” than the NBA…because that’s never gonna happen, you can’t be like Mike…so stay in school!
All Photos © Matt Weber
The Audubon Ballroom 1986
This place was really rundown and fortunately has been restored to most of its former glory. This is also where Malcom X was murdered in 1965…
All Photos © Matt Weber
Harlem 1986
I remember thinking that there might be something here, because while Malcolm X appears behind these guys, almost calling them into action, they were just chilling and mixing screwdrivers on another dreary day on the street…
All Photos © Matt Weber
Pawnshop Harlem 1986
Even some of the pawnshops went out of business during Harlem’s decline during the late twentieth Century…
All Photos © Matt Weber
Black and White Street Photographs of New York City by Matt Weber 