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Home , Apollo Theater, Grant Houses

1970-2009: Photographs of Camilo José Vergara

Please begin your exhibit to your right.

INTRODUCTION 1. Headed to Harlem , 1970 2. Untitled, 1970 3. , 1970: 1355 Park Avenue. This Bolivian Indian dressed in traditional clothes is selling rugs. 4. East Harlem, 1970 5. Chilling on the Avenue , 1970 6. East Harlem, 1970 7. East Harlem, 1970 8. Carolina Meat and Vegetable Market , 1970: 143 Lenox Boulevard. Often Harlemites originally from the south, as well as others who wanted to appeal to rural migrants, named their business establishments after southern places. 9. Harlem, 1970 10. Untitled, 1970: Boys carrying their musical instruments as they take a shortcut across the rubble of former tenements. 11. 2023 Lexington Avenue, 1977 (Lexington Avenue and 123 rd Street)

STOREFRONTS 12. 2038 Fifth Avenue, 1992 13. 2038 Fifth Avenue, 1996 14. 2038 Fifth Avenue, 1999 15. 2038 Fifth Avenue, 2007 16. 65 East 125 th Street, 1977: Drug czar, Nick Barnes, frequented the Purple Manor. 17. 65 East 125 th Street, 1980 18. 65 East 125 th Street, 1980 19. 65 East 125 th Street, 1983 20. 65 East 125 th Street, 1988 21. 65 East 125 th Street, 1996 22. 65 East 125 th Street, 1997 23. 65 East 125 th Street, 2001 24. 65 East 125 th Street, 2007 25. 319 West 125 th Street, 1977 26. 319 West 125 th Street, 1996 27. 319 West 125 th Street, 2007 28. 135 East 125 th Street, 1980 29. 135 East 125 th Street, 2002: A clash is visible here between the Harlem of the period before WWI and the one being created today. 30. 20 East 125 th Street, 1977: In 1977, this storefront housed a Jamaican restaurant. 31. 20 East 125 th Street, 2007

TRANSFORMATIONS 32. View NW from Frederick Douglass and West 143 rd Street, 1988: Scenes of massive destruction like this one eerily recall post-World War II cityscapes in Europe. 33. Frederick Douglass Boulevard and West 143 rd Street, 2001: In the late 1980s this space was occupied by decaying and abandoned tenement buildings. By the beginning of the twenty-first century, these had been razed. 34. Frederick Douglass Boulevard and West 143 rd Street, 2007: By 2007, as the middle-class population of Harlem expanded, this space was occupied by new apartment buildings with balconies and penthouses. 35. Frederick Douglas Boulevard between West 134 th and West 135 th Street, 1993 36. Frederick Douglas Boulevard between West 134 th and West 135 th Street, 2008 37. Untitled (Harlem Welcomes President Clinton), 2001. West 125 th Street from Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard 38. Untitled (Marathon ), 2008 39. , 2007. West 124 th Street from Morningside Avenue, view looking west. Throughout the 1950s and the 1960s, nine public housing developments were built in Harlem. Today, approximately 15 percent of Harlem’s population lives in public housing. Although they were usually built with little regard for the urban fabric of Harlem, the projects surprisingly have become the keepers of its spirit. Tenants, who are often long-term residents of the area, play an important role in keeping the traditional character of the neighborhood intact. 40. Pentecostal Faith Church , 1994. Malcolm X Boulevard (Lenox Avenue) at West 129 th Street. The large white building on the corner was to be the Pentecostal Faith Church, but construction was halted due to the congregation’s lack of funds. It stood incomplete until the land was sold to a developer who built a luxury apartment building, The Lenox, on the site. 41. Malcolm X Boulevard (Lenox Avenue) at West 129 th Street, 200. The Lenox was the first nonsubsidized, market-rate building in the neighborhood, as Harlem became home to an increasingly economically diversified black community.

RELIGION 42. Reverend Thomas D. Johnson (Pastor, Canaan Baptist Church) , 2008. 132 West 116 th Street. 43. Corinthians Baptist Church , 2007. St. Nicholas Avenue at West 116 th Street. 44. Sisters, Sunday Service (Prayer Warriors at Deliverance Temple of Faith), 2002 - 2451 Frederick Douglass Boulevard. The Williams sisters are daughters of Vesseline Williams, the pastor of the church. 45. 75 East 125 th Street, 2009. Samuel’s Temple is empty; the building is for rent. 46. First Haitian Baptist Church, 2002 . 315 West 141 st Street. The paradise landscape above the altar, inspired by the landscape of Labadie in Haiti, was painted by Haitian artist Apollon Mendard. 47. First Haitian Baptist Church, 2007. 315 West 141 st Street. 48. Christ Temple after Sunday Service , 2007. 405 Malcolm X Boulevard. 49. St. Joseph of the Holy Family after Sunday Mass , 2009. 405 West 125 th Street. 50. Street Evangelist , 2008. West 116 th Street at Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard. Pierre Gaspar, known as the “Hallelujah man” is originally from Haiti.

LANDMARKS AND BENCHMARKS 51. View south along Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard from West 117 th Street, 1992. 52. Strivers’ Row , 2007. 139 th Street between Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard and Frederick Douglass Boulevard. These classical but simple McKim, Mead and White townhouses (dating from 1891-93) were originally designed for upper-middle-class white buyers but remained empty for years until black professionals purchased them. The structures are called “Strivers’ Row” because, in the first few decades of the twentieth century, those who moved into these homes had worked hard to “make it.” Residents have included comedian , Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, and Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. All of the Strivers’ Row houses are landmarked buildings. 53. , 2008. South side of West 130 th Street between Fifth Avenue and Malcom X Boulevard (Lenox Avenue). These houses were built under the direction of William Backhouse Astor on land originally purchased by his grandfather, John Jacob Astor. Between 1930 and 1990 the houses fell into disrepair. A move in 1981 to grant them landmark status turned attention to their importance as unique homes in a crowded urban area. Gradually, funds were raised to bring the buildings back to their original form; they remain as highly sought after and admired homes. 54. Mount Morris Fire Watchtower , 2007. (120 th to 124 th Street, between Park and Madison) . This fire watchtower, built in 1855, is the last of its kind in City. 55. All Saints Roman Catholic Church , 199 - North East corner of 129 th Street and Madison Avenue (47 East 129 th Street). Dedicated in 1893, this ornate Gothic church has been called ''the best of Harlem ecclesiastical groupings'' by the American Institute of Architects. The church complex includes a school and a rectory. 56. Corinthians Baptist Church, detail , 1997 - 1908 Adam Clayton Powell Blvd. at West 116 th Street. The First Corinthian Baptist Church built in 1913 by Thomas W. Lamb was first the B. S. Moss Regent Theater, a place for feature films and . The building was inspired by the Doge’s Palace in Venice. 57. Madison Avenue towards East 127 th Street, 1982. The buildings pictured here no longer exist. There is now an empty lot in this space. 58. Renaissance Ballroom and Casino , 2008 - West 137 th Street at Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard. Built in the early 1920s, the Renaissance Ballroom and Casino was a center of nightlife in Harlem. It hosted private parties and dances sponsored by different social groups as well as concerts by artists like , , and . It also held different sporting events, most famously those of the basketball team. It has been shuttered since 1979. 59. 2371 Frederick Douglass Boulevard, 2001. These fake windows (known as Koch Windows because they were placed in hundreds of apartment buildings during the tenure of Mayor Edward Koch) were meant to beautify vacant apartment houses until something more substantial could be done. 60. East 132 nd Street east of Madison Avenue, 2001. Although this photograph was taken in 2001, spaces such as this junkyard have disappeared from Harlem. Today, this lot is the footprint for a new building that will be constructed. 61. East 132 nd Street at Madison Avenue, 1998. In the late twentieth century Harlem had hundreds of semi-vacant buildings, their upper floors boarded up while stores remained in business on the ground floors below. 62. Methadone Clinic , 1994 - 1650 Madison Avenue at East 110 th Street. This medical office, located in an otherwise boarded-up building, is a methadone clinic. 63. Dog Looking out the Window, 1998 - 257 Malcolm X Boulevard. Large guard dogs like this one are placed in empty buildings as a discouragement to squatters and scavengers. 64. Untitled, 2008 - East 126 th Street at 2 nd Avenue 65. Untitled, 1992 - 110 th Street west of Malcolm X Boulevard 66. Sky Watch Tower, 2008 - Malcolm X Boulevard between West 137 th and 138 th Streets. The New York Police Department uses these temporary sky towers in areas where crime has increased.

GRAPHICS 67. Bulletin Board , 1989. The Johnson Houses, Housing Authority, Lexington Avenue at East 115 th Street. An announcement promoting Black History Month and warning signs against crack use share space on this bulletin board at the Management Office of the Johnson Houses. 68. Northwest corner of West 124 th Street at Malcolm X Boulevard, 1995. A local drug dealer has descended on his motorcycle from Heaven for a visit to earth. 69. East 118 th Street at 2nd Avenue, 1991. This dramatic anti-drug mural depicts the destructive effects of drugs on addicts. While this mural was located in one of the most active drug dealing areas of New York City, it did little to deter the drug trade. 70. East 125 th Street between Park and Lexington Avenues, 1994. The names of people killed in Harlem were written on the side of this building. The project, called Increase the Peace , was a community outreach program sponsored by radio station WGLS and Reverend Al Sharpton. 71. Formula 50 , 2005. West 125 th Street west of Frederick Douglas Boulevard. In this remarkable advertisement, the famous rapper, 50 Cent, reads The Wall Street Journal while ignoring the bikini clad women behind him. Portraits of 50 Cent and of another rapper, P. Diddy, always wearing dark glasses, are popular along West 125 th Street. 72. 242 West 116 th Street, 2008. Did the artist know that his mural was going to rise above garbage cans? On January 19, 2009, Vergara saw the superintendent of the building putting out the garbage in front of the mural of Martin Luther King. When asked if he was aware of Dr. King’s birthday being celebrated that day he said, yes, but there was nothing he could do since “that section was designated for garbage.” 73. 359 West 125 th Street, 2009. This store is now out of business. 74. Day of the Puerto Rican Day Parade , 2007. 163 East 116 th Street.

OBAMA 75. Jeanette , 2009. Frederick Douglass Boulevard at West 118 th Street. Obama’s inaugural speech being watched by Jeanette in the recreation room of Wyatt T. Walker Senior Housing. 76. Mr. Long , 2009. West 139 th Street at Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard, 2008. Pennant in hand, Mr. Long celebrates Barack Obama’s inauguration. 77. 253 West 125 th Street, 2008. This commemorative portrait of a smiling Barack Obama places him next to a larger, serious portrait of Malcolm X. 78. Untitled (Inauguration Day), 2008. Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard at 125 th Street. The jumbotron in the background pictures the helicopter that is carrying George W. Bush away from Washington, D.C. on January 20, 2009.

SCULPTURE 79. Swing Low , 2008. Frederick Douglass Boulevard and West 122 nd Street. Sculptor Allison Saar; Landscape architect: Quennell Rothschild & Partners. The full standing portrait of Harriet Tubman honors the abolitionist who was an instrumental leader of the Underground Railroad, the secretive system used to escort escaped slaves to free states. Carved on the stone fence that surrounds the statue are the words: ''Oh let my people go. What a beautiful morning it will be! Oh let my people go.'' The sculpture received an Excellence in Design Award from the New York City Art Commission. 80. Untitled, 2009 . Frederick Douglass Boulevard and 110 th Street. Still wrapped up when Vergara took this photograph, this sculpture of Frederick Douglass will face Harlem as a way to acknowledge its presence and its importance in American history. 81. Lafayette and Washington , 2008. West 114 th Street at Morningside Avenue and Avenue. This sculpture was designed by Frédéric- Auguste Bartholdi in 1900. Bartholdi was the sculptor of the Statue of Liberty. 82. Higher Ground , 2005. Northeast corner of Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard at West 125 th Street. Designed by Branly Cadet, this curious sculpture of Adam Clayton Powell, Harlem’s first Black Congressman and preeminent civil rights leader, was inspired by his statement, “Press forward at all times, climbing forward toward that higher ground of the harmonious society that shapes the laws of man to the laws of God.”

HEART OF HARLEM 83. Inside 2807 Frederick Douglass Boulevard, 2007. This was one of only three buildings in Harlem to make the Department of Housing Preservation and Development’s list of the one hundred worst buildings in New York City. At the beginning of 2009, this tenement was empty. 84. Sam , 1995 - 274 West 140 th Street. Sam worked as the superintendent of his building. 85. Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard at West 125 th Street, 2008. This woman, dressed in traditional Malian fashion, was at a celebration of Mali. 86. Looking north along Frederick Douglass Boulevard from West 125 th Street, 2008. 87. Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard at West 125 th Street, 2005. 88. West 125 th Street at Morningside Avenue, 2007. Here, a free Thanksgiving meal is being served in front of the Grant Houses as it has been going on for decades. 89. CC , 2008. CC is a WWII veteran and a retired policeman who served in the Bronx for twenty years. 90. Carrie and Archie , 2007. Northeast corner of 125 th Street at Malcolm X Boulevard. 91. Fredrick Douglass Boulevard at West 135 th Street, 2008. Harlem celebrates Flag Day on August 17, the birthday of Marcus Garvey. 92. Madison Avenue at East , 2007. African Queens, presided over by Queen Mother, Dr. Blakelyn, Mayor of Harlem, wait for Prince Philip at the Harlem Children’s Zone. 93. Eddie , 1990. Eddie, originally from Selma, Alabama, was an urban farmer in Harlem. The plot of land he cultivated is now occupied by a large luxury apartment building on Frederick Douglass Boulevard between West 118 th th Street and West 119 th Street in Harlem. A Starbucks has opened on the exact spot where Eddie stands. 94. West 125 th Street west of Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard, 2007. Japanese tourists gather to be photographed in front of one of Harlem’s famous landmarks, the . 95. Untitled (Mr. Butterfly Pin), 2007. 71 East 125th Street 96. Rasheedah at the Street Fair , 2008. West 135 th Street at Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard 97. Lexington Avenue at East 125 th Street, 2007. This is one of the most troubled intersections in New York City. There is a large methadone clinic just a block away, and drug rehabilitation centers, a welfare office and the Salvation Army are all nearby. The presence of a recycling station on East 124 th Street and Lexington Avenue explains the presence of carts of cans and bottles. 98. Lexington Avenue at East 124 th Street, 2007. This is a popular bottle and can redemption center. 99. Street Scene by the Apollo Theater. West 125 th Street near Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard, 2007 100. “Bullet ,” 2006. East 126 th Street at Madison Avenue 101. Frank Suarez , 2008. 2164 Frederick Douglass Boulevard. Frank Suarez, originally from the Dominican Republic, pictured inside his tire shop as he prepared to move his business of more than two decades. He was moving to East Harlem because his rent had been raised.