This Photographer Shot 1970s New York From the Hip

Apr 25, 2025

Matt Growcoot

A woman wearing sunglasses and a dress stands on a city sidewalk, rummaging through a large bag. Tall buildings and pedestrians are visible in the background. The image is in black and white. — White purse © Mark Cohen

In July 1973, Mark Cohen spent a month living in a dorm room at New York University (NYU) while taking part in a film production workshop. His daily classes were short so he used his free time to walk around the city with his camera.

Only a few of the images were printed at the time and the vast majority remained unseen, except as negatives, until now.

A man with long hair sits behind a dirty glass, holding a cup in one hand and a cigarette in the other, staring directly at the camera. The background includes a diner counter and a "French Fries" sign. — Cigarette and coffee © Mark Cohen

A child smiles while reaching into a toy vending machine, with bubble gum and trinket machines next to it. Only the child’s arm and part of their face are visible. The machines appear old and worn. — Arm in candy machine © Mark Cohen

A man sits alone inside a subway car, visible through the open door. The subway’s exterior is covered in graffiti, with the words "BLOOD SUCKER" sprayed in large letters. — ‘Bloodsucker’ © Mark Cohen

New York in the 1970s was notorious for high crime rates, social disorder, an unsafe subway, and a declining quality of life. Economic stagnation had hit the city hard and many of the middle-class residents had left for the suburbs. This is often evidenced in Cohen’s photographs in the graffiti, litter, and ruin present on the streets but his images also depict a New York which is full of life and on the move.

A young child in shorts and sneakers runs across an empty cobblestone street, carrying a large wooden board, with old buildings and a fire hydrant in the background. — Girl with board © Mark Cohen

A person carrying a large wooden ladder walks across a city street, with a tall, multi-story building and a parked truck in the background. The photo is in black and white. — Man with ladder © Mark Cohen

A long line of young people, mostly teenagers, stands on a city sidewalk near a building with graffiti-covered walls. Many wear 1970s-style clothing, including flared pants and afros. Some look at the camera, while others wait patiently. — People in line © Mark Cohen

Cohen’s book Tall Socks, published by Gost, follows no formal narrative, the pace of the images gives the impression of walking around a city whose residents are in a perpetual state of transit with Cohen moving unobtrusively through this. There is a change from block to block, from step to step, and details and impressions are observed. There is an undercurrent of threat in some of the images — the glare of a stranger and menacing subway stations — but also humor and joy found in a child’s tall socks, a lady with peacock feathers, an incongruous elephant or a girl carrying a plank of wood across a cobblestoned street.

A woman with curly hair sits behind glass in a ticket booth, arms folded, wearing a vest and a button. A sign in front reads "HOW MANY Please." A fan and office items are visible behind her. — Ticket seller © Mark Cohen

A young man with curly hair and a serious expression rides a bicycle in a busy park. Several people are sitting and standing in the background, and trees and buildings are visible. The image is in black and white. — Unknown person © Mark Cohen

A black-and-white photo shows a child's legs in white socks and sandals, standing on tiptoes near a chain-link fence with overgrown plants and a car in the background. — Tall socks © Mark Cohen

Mark Cohen has been taking pictures since he was 14 and is best known for his work made in his native city of Wilkes-Barre in Pennsylvania where he would just go out of his door and start to work. He didn’t need to travel because there was an infinite set of possibilities and variations on the streets each day. The same working method applied to his short time in New York. He just had to walk.

Cohen has a singular photographic style resulting from holding his camera at hip level to intuitively photograph, often up close to his subjects. This lends his images an unusual perspective—they show the world viewed from the height of a child, focusing on objects or angles that are often overlooked, cropping figures, and peering curiously into doorways and down streets. The familiar becomes both fresh and strange.

For more 1970s New York photography, check out these photos of Lower Manhattan or these frenetic photos of New York nightlife.

Tall Socks by Mark Cohen is published by Gost.