In 1960, Brooklyn photographer Enrico Natali took candid pictures of the people he saw on the subway on a daily basis. This series was his earliest work in photography.
“Since I lived in the depths of Brooklyn and rode the subway to where I worked in Manhattan, it seemed reasonable to make the subway my first project. I became so involved in the work that for a time I all but lived in the subway. One night, looking over the photographs, I had the realization that they were larger than I was, that photography was my vocation, and America my subject.”
At first glance, the images seem to show New York City in a very stark, haunting light but upon closer examination, the timeless humanity of the passengers shines through. Though these photos are from a time over 50 years ago, the habits and mannerisms captured persist up to this day.
These photos have now been incorporated into the book New York Subway, 1960, which is available on Amazon.
photos by Enrico Natali
via My Modern Met
