Photo: Mikey at the bar, next to my photographs. I loved hanging out, having a beer, taking pictures, listening to what people said about the neighbor-hood. People were open and generous with me. 1976-1982. Gelatin silver print. Museum of the City of New York, Gift of Roberta Perrymapp, 2013.12.14
Politicians leave a paper trail by which we can reflect on the historic record as it was put into play by policy decisions that are criminal minded. In 1970, New York Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan took a proposal to the Nixon White House that he described as “benign neglect.” Moynihan advocated for the government to withdraw from dealing with the systemic issues plaguing the African American community, and in doing so, services were suspended in neighborhoods where they needed it most. In its place Moynihan advocated for increased surveillance and “studies,” much like the nonsense he was pedaling here.
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But this being Tricky Dick Nixon, the message was warmly received, ushering in more than a decade of psychopathic patriarchy—which included the blind eye turned as landlords hired arsonists to burn down buildings in order to collect the insurance money, leaving neighborhoods in ruins. A war was being waged in plain sight, but there was nothing that could be done until the land was ravished completely. Between 1970 and 1980, 44 census tracts in the Bronx lost more than half of their buildings to fire and abandonment, with seven tracts losing a staggering 97%.
Life carries on in the War Zone. 1975-1981. Gelatin silver print. Museum of the City of New York, Gift of Roberta Perrymapp, 2013.12.1
You can’t even imagine. Not without the pictures. Not if you weren’t there and didn’t see this for yourself. It was the unimaginable, but it happened, and photographer Mel Rosenthal gathered evidence of the crimes committed by the government against the citizens of this nation. A selection of his work is now on view in In The South Bronx of America at the Museum of the City of New York through October 16, 2016. The exhibition features 42 vintage prints made between 1976 and 1982,
The daily domino game in front of the Social Club. 1976-1982. Gelatin silver print. Museum of the City of New York, Gift of Roberta Perrymapp, 2013.12.28
Rosenthal was born in the Bronx in 1940, then his family moved to South Carolina in search of a better life. He returned in 1975, after a 20-year absence, and began photographing his native borough as the bottom fell away. City officials decided to transform the South Bronx into an Enterprise Zone, where factories would be built and their owners given special tax privileges. They enacted a policy of “planned shrinkage,” plummeting property values, reducing municipal services, and ignoring arson in order to encourage a mass exodus of residents.
As years went on, the impact could not be ignored, and the world saw for itself as the South Bronx burned on live television during the 1977 World Series. But as sensational as that was, it was without humanity. It was simply a sensational image of devastation without context. This is where Rosenthal’s work serves the greater good, as his work stands as a testament to the power of artist as activist. Baring witness to a community riddled by crimes with no one held responsible, Rosenthal captured the stark, horrific nature of the new Jim Crow in the backyard on one of the most powerful cities in the world. But unlike many who brought a camera to the Bronx, Rosenthal did not exploit the tragedy to reinforce some ghastly narrative of the status quo. Instead he revealed the face of the South Bronx to the world and the beauty of the human soul.
Kids fencing, Bathgate Avenue and 174th St. 1976-1982. Gelatin silver print. Museum of the City of New York, Gift of Roberta Perrymapp, 2013.12.7
All photos: © Mel Rosenthal.
Miss Rosen is a New York-based writer, curator, and brand strategist. There is nothing she adores so much as photography and books. A small part of her wishes she had a proper library, like in the game of Clue. Then she could blaze and write soliloquies to her in and out of print loves.
