1959
(American, b. 1933)
Gelatin silver print on resin-coated paper
Paper: 40.6 x 50.8 cm (16 x 20 in.)
Gift of an anonymous donor 2018.747
© Bruce Davidson/Magnum Photos
One of Davidson’s best-known series, Brooklyn Gang was inspired by a news story about a fight involving a teenage gang called the Jokers.
“The hole,” a space 3½ feet wide by 30 feet long between two buildings, was one of the places where the Jokers went to drink beer, smoke pot, and occasionally pop a pill. “We used to have the big guys buy full quarts of beer,” remembered Bob Powers. “Then we’d go down in the hole, open one at a time, and pass it around until they were empty.” A pipe six feet above the bottom of the hole “was like our ‘high bar,’” recalled Powers. “We’d all do tricks and flips on this thing.”
The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email [email protected].
To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.
All images and data available through Open Access can be downloaded for free. For images not available through Open Access, a detail image, or any image with a color bar, request a digital file from Image Services.