Camilo José Vergara's Vintage Photographs of 1970's New York Show a Crumbling and Decaying City

Chilean-born photographer Camilo José Vergara was working on a graduate degree at Columbia University in the early 1970's.

Vergara spent his time in the City photographing as much as he could, and captured the grit and grime from several boroughs and dozens of neighborhoods.

It is hard to imagine just how big of a transformation New York City went through to get where we are today, in just 45 years none-the-less, but these photos of the "Good Old Days" may help you appreciate the efforts that went into cleaning up the City.

1970 South Bronx.
1970 South Bronx.
1970 East Harlem
1970 East Harlem
1970 Girls with Barbies, East Harlem.
1970 Girls with Barbies, East Harlem.
1970 Fifth Ave at 110th Street, East Harlem.
1970 Fifth Ave at 110th Street, East Harlem.
1970 Cadillac Fleetwood, Harlem.
1970 Cadillac Fleetwood, Harlem.
1970 Lexington Ave, Harlem.
1970 Lexington Ave, Harlem.
1970 Bronx River, Bronx.
1970 Bronx River, Bronx.
1970 View of the World Trade Center under construction from Duane Street.
1970 View of the World Trade Center under construction from Duane Street.
1970 Hoe Avenue at 172nd Street, Bronx.
1970 Hoe Avenue at 172nd Street, Bronx.
1970 Militant display, window, Bushwick, Brooklyn.
1970 Militant display, window, Bushwick, Brooklyn.
1970 Avenue C, Lower East Side.
1970 Avenue C, Lower East Side.
1970 Hunts Point, South Bronx.
1970 Hunts Point, South Bronx.
1970 1148 Longwood Avenue, Bronx.
1970 1148 Longwood Avenue, Bronx.
1970 Lower East Side, Manhattan
1970 Lower East Side, Manhattan
1970 Eagle and Westchester Avenues, Bronx.
1970 Eagle and Westchester Avenues, Bronx.
1970 East Harlem.
1970 East Harlem.
1971 113 South Bronx.
1971 113 South Bronx.
1973 East 167th Street, South Bronx.
1973 East 167th Street, South Bronx.
1977 65 East 125th Street, Harlem.
1977 65 East 125th Street, Harlem.
1978 65 East 125th Street, Harlem.
1978 65 East 125th Street, Harlem.
1979 View of lower Manhattan from the Manhattan Bridge.
1979 View of lower Manhattan from the Manhattan Bridge.

h/t Mashable

Matt Coneybeare

Matt Coneybeare

Editor in Chief

Matt enjoys exploring the City's with his partner and son. He is an avid marathon runner, and spends most of his time eating, running, and working on cool stuff.

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