Okay, here’s my story about my 1970s Brooklyn project:

So, I got this wild idea to dig into what Brooklyn was like back in the 1970s. You know, bell bottoms, disco, and all that jazz. I wanted to see the real Brooklyn, not just the stuff you see in movies. I started by gathering a bunch of old photos. I mean, I really went down the rabbit hole, ending up with over a thousand pictures!
My goal was simple: find pictures that showed everyday life. I wasn’t looking for big events, although there were some crazy things happening back then, like that Munich Olympics mess and the Iran hostage situation. Even stuff like ESPN starting and movies like “The Godfather” and “Star Wars” coming out. “Jaws” was a big deal, too – everyone was talking about it! But I wanted the everyday stuff. Street corners, people hanging out, what the shops looked like, you know?
I spent hours, days even, looking through these photos. It was like stepping back in time. I picked out about 40 that I thought really captured the vibe of places like Dumbo and Brooklyn Heights. These weren’t your typical tourist snapshots. One picture that sticks out was this one from, I think it was November 22, 2020, showing some kind of militant display near a window in Bushwick. Super intense!
- First, I just started browsing online, looking for any old photos of Brooklyn.
- Then, I narrowed it down to the 1970s, which was a bit trickier.
- Next, I started organizing them by neighborhood, trying to get a feel for each area.
- After that, I picked out the ones that really showed what I was looking for – real life in Brooklyn.
- Finally, I put them all together, and bam! It felt like I had a little time machine.
It was a lot of work, but honestly, it was so much fun. I felt like I was piecing together a puzzle, and each photo was a little piece of Brooklyn’s history. It made me appreciate how much things have changed, but also how some things stay the same. Brooklyn’s always had this unique energy, and you can see it in these old photos. It’s like, even though the clothes and cars are different, the spirit of the place is still there.
Honestly, it made me want to explore more about the history of my city. I might even do this for other decades, or maybe another city altogether! What is important is to keep exploring, keep digging, and keep discovering.
