Bushwick Daily proudly presents 6 photographs by Ray Henders. Ray is a Bushwick resident, amazing photographer and a fine art printing guru. These photographs are the first installment of his work in progress series. With a Holga with PanX125 120mm film Ray captures Bushwick’s landmarks that are hiding a piece of history.
Not too many people know nowadays that until the night of July 13, 1977, when a major blackout occurred in New York City, Bushwick was experiencing a retail and residential flourish. However, arson, looting, and vandalism followed the Blackout. Bushwick saw some of the most devastating damages and losses. While local owners in the predominantly Puerto Rican Knickerbocker Avenue and Graham Avenue shopping districts were able to defend their stores with force, suburban owners with stores on the Broadway shopping district saw their shops looted and burned. Twenty-seven stores along Broadway had burned. Only unsafe dwellings and empty lots were left after the riots among surviving buildings. Bushwick was left with a lack of both retail stores and housing. Residents who could afford to leave abandoned the area. The neighborhood became a hotbed of poverty and crime through the 1980s…
To learm more about Ray Henders and his work visit his Portfolio and his Digital Printing Website.