I found this book in a thrift store a couple of years ago. The Block is testimony of a really dark area of New York city and specifically the Bronx. Herb Goro is New York photographer and journalist that spent a year in a project in the South East Bronx around 1966. This book shows how terrible it was already to live in the bronx in the 60’s. Throughout the book Goro interviews local families, social worker, kids, and took more than 180 amazing black and white pictures to document this tragedy in the making. No wonder that kids born in this area ( I am thinking here Chino, Mare and all the one I never met) had to push the limit of creativity and positivity to get out of this nasty daily routine…
Here is the introduction of the book by Herb Goro. (note that in 1970 they were still using the word Negro for African american...Pretty sad.
INTRODUCTION
This book is about the people living or working on one block in the East Bronx. The Bronx has undergone a great transformation since the World War II. Since that time there has been an exodus of middle and lower middle income white families, and their place have come thousands of Negro and Puerto Rican families. The Bronx is the only section of New York City situated on the United States mainland. It lies north of Manhattan Island and south of suburban Westchester. It occupies an area of 53.1 square miles. The Bronx is one of the most heavily populated areas in the nation, with about 33,000 inhabitants per square miles. About one-fith of all Bronx families have annual incomes below the poverty level, as measured by the index developed by the Social Security Administration. The Block I have chosen is within fifty-five square blocks designated as one of the city’s worst health areas. It’s population is approximately 50’000 with 48 percent Negro, 48% Puerto Rican and 4% elderly white. This section has a significantly high infant mortality rate (29 deaths per 1’000), a tuberculosis rate three times higher than the city average, and a significantly high venereal disease rate. As high crime area it ranks among the worst in New York City. I would like to thank the people of this neighborhood, who cooperated with an extraordinary degree. Everyone I interviewed has been given a voice in The Block.
HERB GORO
Posted on April 07, 2008 at 07:12 AM | Comment (5 comments)
This morning I waited about 45 minutes to have a train with enough room to bring me to work… I ended up drawing people from the platform with a shit pencil on crap paper ...Here is a little crop of it.
Posted on April 03, 2008 at 11:45 AM | Comment (1 comments)
AKON AND T-PAIN GO TO THE MALL
Thanks Maru.. You made my day!
Posted on April 02, 2008 at 11:03 AM | Comment (3 comments)
My friend Peter worked like a dog on this great track and animation. Never-ending talent… Enjoy it with your oatmeal or granola.
Posted on April 02, 2008 at 06:25 AM | Comment (1 comments)
So I was finally able to upload some flicks from my Puerto Rican trip. The bottom line is that PR has amazing friendly people and a beautiful rain forrest. Old San Juan is really pretty and definitely shows some amazing spanish colonial buildings. The beaches are nice and the seafood is great. The downside?, The second wave of colonialism by the USA. Way too many big ass cars, way too many fast food, malls and overweight red neck midwesterns that look like obese lobsters about to blow out. I often felt like I was in another US state more than in a spanish Island…
The Rain forrest was just beautiful. 15 minute from the highway and you are in the garden of Eden. I felt like one of the dude from the TV show “Lost”. Too bad that so many American tourists felt the need to drive oversize polluting Jeeps and Hummers to discover a dying wonder.
In Old San Juan we went to the El Morro. It’s the oldest Spanish fort built overseas. It started in 1540 and was done in 1589. Just super impressive and beautiful. Rising 140 feet above the sea, its 18-foot-thick wall proved a formidable defense. It fell only once, in 1598, to a land assault by the Earl of Cumberland’s forces. The fort is a maze of tunnels, dungeons, barracks, outposts and ramps.
We also ate the national dish: Mofongo. It’s a popular Afro-Boricua dish, made from fried green plantains seasoned with garlic, olive oil and pork cracklings, then mashed. We got that with Lobster and shrimp… Banging!
I also spot some old dope signs like that Pizzi sign that reminded me some Espo work, those 3 great characters having a party on that blue wall and those dying tiles on a store front in Old San Juan.
Unfortunately american generic signs took over most of the local art.
Posted on April 01, 2008 at 03:23 PM | Comment (0 comments)
