ABOUT THE AUTHOR

I was born in the Bronx, New York in 1942 and became serious about photography when I started teaching High School Chemistry in 1966. These pictures were taken between 1968 and 1970. I gained the confidence of many of these students because they knew I would display these prints around the school building. For that reason, the students would be more than happy to pose for these pictures. Many of the photos I took were developed in a photography club I instructed at the school. I also did work in my home darkroom. In 1970, I took a darkroom course with George Tice at the New School for Social Research in NYC. During that time, I was invited to exhibit a selection of these pictures in a symposium entitled “Social Responsibility and the Photographer” at the New School from September 16 to October 1, 1970 with eight other photographers. The pictures have not been seen since that exhibition.

I decided to do this book mainly as a glimpse back to a time when our country was experiencing many momentous changes. Our country had just landed on the moon and the Viet Nam war was going strong. There was much turmoil in New York City and in the country. Some of the important events which occurred at that time were:

  1. The My Lai massacre on March 16, 1968
  2. The actions of the group, “Students for a Democratic Society” which included the shutdown of Columbia University in April, 1968
  3. The Black Panther Party founded by Huey Newton and the arrest of the New York Panther 21 on April 2, 1969 all of whom were found to be not guilty
  4. Trial of the Chicago 7 in September, 1969
  5. Th e expansion of the war into Cambodia and Laos in April, 1970
  6. Th e killing of four students at Kent State on May 4, 1970
  7. The intensification of the bombing of North Viet Nam which continued as late as February, 1972 8. Resistance to the draft throughout the period
  8. Anti-war demonstrations throughout the period which many times emphasized the hippie credo Make love not war!

 

I feel these pictures not only show the political buttons, dress, hairstyle and graffiti of the times, but also the intense and penetrating character and individuality of the subjects. The events had a profound impact on our consciousness and search for identity.

 

Leonard Smoke
mlsmoke@yahoo.com