Global ImageWorks Highlights NYC Footage

This month Global ImageWorks is spotlighting New York City in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s.

Selections from highly-acclaimed documentarian Robert Elfstrom shot in 1964 depict daily life in Harlem, including scenes inside a pool hall, bodega and restaurant, as well as great shots of Cassius Clay in front of the Hotel Theresa shortly before he changed his name to Muhammad Ali. This footage, which has been transferred from the original 16mm and is available now in 4K, also includes fascinating coverage of protestors with signs marching from City Hall to downtown Brooklyn during a large civil rights demonstration against school segregation.

Click here to see selections from the Elfstrom collection.

Two lightning strikes turned the streets of New York City into chaos in July of 1977. Heatwaves, a financial downturn, and a serial killer on the loose created an atmosphere of paranoia and fear, which erupted onto the streets when the lights went out that summer. What followed in the darkness was looting, violence and fires across most of New York City. This gritty footage was shot by stringers during the two-day blackout and is part of a wider collection of New York City crime footage of the 1970s and 1980s.

Click here to see the blackout footage.

Catch the F train for a fun-filled day of splashing in the waves, fishing, and riding the Cyclone on a warm summer's day at Coney Island in the 1970s.

Arcades, graffiti-covered subways, and neon signs all feature prominently in a collection of experimental films shot in New York City in the 1980s. These films highlight urban New York City life as the city grappled with a range of socio-economic issues.