Jack Garofalo’s striking photos of life in Harlem in the 1970s

Photographer Jack Garofalo has captured a series of striking photos of a pulsating Harlem for the Paris Match magazine during a period of six weeks spent in New York City’s neighborhood back in the 1970s.

Jack Garofalo was a photographer who worked for the Paris Match magazine. The artist was born in 1923 and he died in 2004. His work was well-known in the photography world, but in recent times a special photoshoot has become quite popular on the internet.

Back in the summer of 1970, Jack Garofalo spent six weeks in Harlem in order to document the lives of the people living in this New York City’s neighborhood. Eventually, his story was featured on the cover of the Paris Match magazine, while depicting an energetic Harlem.

Amazing photos of life in Harlem in the 1970s by Jack Garofalo

During the summer of 1970 Photographer Jack Garofalo captured a series of impressive photos of people living in Harlem. The artist spent six weeks getting to know a lot of these people, learning more about them, and getting their permission to take their photos, indoors and outdoors.

A lot of people living in the neighborhood allowed the photographer to enter their homes and to show him their lifestyle. Most of the people were both unemployed and uneducated, but the area was still full of culture, a thing that is better illustrated in the candid shots.

After experiencing six weeks of life in Harlem, Jack Garofalo had his photos of the vibrant community featured in the October issue of the Paris Match magazine. His story allowed outsiders to learn more about the people in this area and to see how life kept going in a place where style was one the most important things for the inhabitants.

Mass exodus in the 1960s following tough life in Harlem

Several publications were focused on Harlem in the 1970s and there was a good reason for that. Up until the 1960s, it was considered one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the US. As a result, a mass exodus occurred in the 1960s, as educated and employed people decided to move to other areas, where they could find better homes and schools.

Another reason why people left Harlem for the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens was the fact that these neighborhoods were a lot safer. Harlem remained a place with uneducated, unemployed, and poor people in general, as there were very few people who could afford to move but chose not to.

At the dawn of the 1970s, magazines in the US and other countries were curious what was life like in Harlem after the exodus. Jack Garofalo was one of the first to show a different view of life in Harlem and his legacy will live forever.