For a couple of months in 1968, one New Yorker walked around the East and West Villages, aiming a camera loaded with black and white film at the people and buildings encountered on the street.
This New Yorker captured scenes that would be familiar to city residents today. Above is Sixth Avenue looking south toward Jefferson Market, a year after it became a library branch (but before six years before the fortress-like Women’s House of Detention behind it was demolished).
Here’s Gem Spa at Second Avenue (are those Belgian paving blocks on the street?) and St. Mark’s Place. Apparently in 1968 it was Gems Spa.
I’m not sure what block this is, taken from a roof or terrace across the street; I think it’s LaGuardia Place, without the community gardens on the east side of the street, which didn’t come until the 1970s.
Is that a volleyball net in Washington Square Park? It’s set up in the southern end of the park, with Judson Memorial Church and its iconic bell tower in the background.
Back in the East Village again looking down St. Mark’s Place, with the St. Mark’s Theater marquee advertising a Bette Davis film (it was a second-run house at the time).
The park benches at St. Mark’s Church on Second Avenue are still popular—but you don’t see men in hats and overcoats like this anymore. These folks are old-school East Villagers, and their younger neighbors are hanging out by the church fence near the Biafra sign.
Below, a sidewalk artist displays his work, though it’s hard to know where we are. Soho barely existed at the time; perhaps it’s part of the Greenwich Village art show?
Since most of the images here are easily identifiable, what’s the mystery? That would be who it was who decided to shoot some film of random ordinary street scenes and hang onto the photos for the next 50 or so years. I don’t have an answer…but I know the photographer stashed them in a drawer and basically forgot about them.
[All photos © Ephemeral New York]
Tags: 1960s New York City photos, East Village in 1968, Gem Spa in 1968, Greenwich Village in the 1960s, Jefferson Market in 1968, St. Mark's Church East Village 1960s, St. Mark's Theater 1960s, Street Photos Greenwich Village, West Village in 1968
Ephemeral New York 
November 4, 2019 at 6:38 am |
I was 14 in 1968, lived in the Village, and the photo of 2nd Ave reminded me how I always tried to avoid riding my bike down 2nd when I rode home from uptown, those cobblestones were murder on a bike.
November 4, 2019 at 6:49 am |
i’m pretty sure that the st mark’s theater was on 2nd avenue, near st mark’s place. (see the street sign)
November 4, 2019 at 6:58 pm |
Walking up 2nd Ave is St Marks Place, the Negro Ensemble Company, St Marks movie house, Ottendorfer Library, an old medical center, I forget the name…
November 4, 2019 at 7:57 am |
I wonder if the art show pix isn’t the west side of
LaGuardia Place between Bleeker and W 3rd. My late partner exhibited at the art show about there in 1970. It was pretty gritty. If you look at the sidewalks you can see what may be shadows of the old freight elevators. My clue is the medallion. Just a guess . . .
November 4, 2019 at 4:59 pm |
I think you are right. If you look at the aerial photo of La Guardia Place, you can see the art show set up on the west side of the street and the back of the easels that hold up the prints on the east side of the street.
November 5, 2019 at 5:51 pm
I think you are right, too, and it makes sense, since the photographer shot another one of LaGuardia.
November 4, 2019 at 9:51 am |
Some interesting photos. Number six, the park benches, is particularly interesting. What is the strange spotted apparition on the first bench? I mean the one sitting next to Sam ‘The Boss’ Giancana!
November 4, 2019 at 2:18 pm |
Ha! Good spot! (or good question!) Now I am trying to figure it out. Very science fiction-y.
November 4, 2019 at 4:12 pm
I’ve been studying that one to figure that out too! I think it’s a woman clad in some kind of lacy hat and shawl.
November 4, 2019 at 11:52 am |
The mystery block is LaGuardia Place, but between Bleecker and West 3rd Street, and not directly opposite the community gardens.
November 4, 2019 at 12:56 pm |
Once upon a time….
November 4, 2019 at 2:37 pm |
The community gardens on LaGuardia Place were installed later. I remember walking across dirt there well into the 80s.
November 4, 2019 at 5:13 pm |
On the mystery block, Keith Haring last lived in 1990 at 542 La Guardia Pl in view. David Crosby, Graham Nash and maybe Bob Dylan possibly lived at 540 La Guardia Pl according to a source.
November 4, 2019 at 11:47 pm |
I can’t solve the mystery, but I can pretty confidently say that the the fifth photo from the top is looking UP 2nd Avenue, not down St. Marks place.
Love the blog.
Cliff Stanley NYer in exile, Berkeley CA
>
November 5, 2019 at 5:51 pm |
That sounds right, thanks for the clarification!
November 5, 2019 at 4:19 am |
I concur that the photo of the marquee of St.Marks movie theatre is looking uptown on 2nd Ave. It was right south of Ottendorfer Library.It was a great place to see independent and foreign films!
November 5, 2019 at 5:52 pm |
Sigh, I can’t imagine seeing a storefront theater marquee like that in the EV anymore, at least not for a small theater like the St. Marks appeared to be.
November 5, 2019 at 8:49 pm
The St Marks movie house was wonderful on winter days, though there wasn’t much heat, at least some heat pipes were clattering. You sat there in your over coat, smoking pot, at least that was the norm, and enjoyed the movie. Oh those were the days, ahhhh…
November 7, 2019 at 3:14 pm |
If you want more street views of about the same vintage, go to the New Museum for the Hans Haacke show. There was a shot of Women’s Detention House next to the Jefferson Market Library O have not seen. Good thing, they took it down.
November 10, 2019 at 6:41 pm |
Blocks were relatively common in those years. IIRC (doubtful), I last saw a small area where the blocks hadn’t been paved over west of Soho ~10 years ago.
December 1, 2019 at 5:37 pm |
[…] Epheremal New York gibt es 7 mysteriöse Fotos von Downton New York 1968. Ich könnte die Orte von damals absolut nicht identifizieren, das kann ich noch nicht mal bei […]
March 27, 2021 at 5:57 pm |
[…] “For a couple of months in 1968, one New Yorker walked around the East and West Villages, aiming a camera loaded with black and white film at the people and buildings encountered on the street. This New Yorker captured scenes that would be familiar to city residents today. Above is Sixth Avenue looking south toward Jefferson Market, a year after it became a library branch (but before six years before the fortress-like Women’s House of Detention behind it was demolished). Here’s Gem Spa at Second Avenue (are those Belgian paving blocks on the street?) and St. Mark’s Place. Apparently in 1968 it was Gems Spa. I’m not sure what block this is, taken from a roof or terrace across the street; I think it’s LaGuardia Place, without the community gardens on the east side of the street, which didn’t come until the 1970s. Is that a volleyball net in Washington Square Park? It’s set up in the southern end of the park, with Judson Memorial Church and its iconic bell tower in the background. Back in the East Village again looking down St. Mark’s Place, with the St. Mark’s Theater marquee advertising a Bette Davis film (it was a second-run house at the time). The park benches at St. Mark’s Church on Second Avenue are still popular—but you don’t see men in hats and overcoats like this anymore. These folks are old-school East Villagers, and their younger neighbors are hanging out by the church fence near the Biafra sign. Below, a sidewalk artist displays his work, though it’s hard to know where we are. Soho barely existed at the time; perhaps it’s part of the Greenwich Village art show? Since most of the images here are easily identifiable, what’s the mystery? That would be who it was who decided to shoot some film of random ordinary street scenes and hang onto the photos for the next 50 or so years. I don’t have an answer…but I know the photographer stashed them in a drawer and basically forgot about them.” Ephemeral New York […]