Beautiful Photos Of NYC Parked Cars In The 1970s By Photographer Langdon Clay

By | March 20, 2020


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source: langdon clay

Between 1974 and 1976 Langdon Clay photographed the cars he found on the streets of New York and Hoboken, New Jersey whenever he was out on a late night walk. These striking photos don’t just show us the cars of the ‘70s but the way New York looked at a time of major upheaval. The photos may be digitized, but they have an inherently tactile sensation. Whether you’re a car lover or you just have a passing interest in these four wheel classics, Langdon Clay's '70s car photos are a time machine to an era when every automobile exuded a sense of raw power.

Street photography doesn’t just provide the viewer with a peek into a world that they may not know, but it gives us insight into the person behind the camera. What do they love? What’s their secret obsession?

Many would say cars are the best eye candy, and a pop of color and Detroit style like this red Ford Fairlane, snapped somewhere near Sixth Street, bears that out.  The Ford Fairlane is one of those cars that seems like it’s been forgotten in the 21st century. These babies were rolled out between 1955 and 1970 as a mid-size cruiser in spite of its generally large size. Named after Henry’s Ford’s estate near Dearborn, Michigan, Fair Lane, the car appealed all kinds of drivers. Whether you were in the suburbs or the heart of the city the Fairlane was there for you.

A Galaxie 500 in Manhattan

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source: langdon clay

With the space race firmly on everyone’s mind it’s no wonder that Ford rolled out a car called the Galaxie. Whether you’re looking at the Galaxie 500, the Sunliner, or the XL, these cars are extremely cool looking. Even the 1972 Station. Wagon version of these cars look like some kind of retro-futuristic daydream. Ford stopped manufacturing the Galaxie in 1974, but if you look hard enough you can still find them out on the street.