In June 1993, the Estate of Leonard Fink donated a photographic collection to The Center in New York City through its executor, Steven E. Bing. The materials in the Fink Estate was willed to four AIDS related organizations who gave all of the rights to the photos to the Center Archive. Some of these were signed “Len Elliot,” which might have ben a pseudonym of Fink’s. The collection consists of over 25,000 negatives and images capturing Greenwich Village and much of the spirit of the late 60s and 70s. Some of the most well known images in the collection are Fink’s work at “The Piers” along the Hudson River. Fink documented over 25 years of gay life in New York City but his photography was never exhibited or published in his lifetime. He was self taught and used an old 35mm camera while working out of a homemade darkroom in his West 92nd Street apartment. Rich Wandel, an Archivist and Historian for The Center’s National History Archive is currently working on a book of Fink Images that will be released later this summer.
Photography by Leonard Fink, Courtesy of The Center
RomanHans
If you had a gay grandfather, these are the good old days he’d be constantly talking about.
mgmchi
guess I’m old enough to be a grandfather
didn’t live in NY, so did not do the piers
however, did live in a small college town with many pvt lakes and beaches
lots of skinny dipping and general nekkidness and cruising in the woods
tons of sexy fun, don’t know that it happens as much anymore
Sarcastic Curmudgeon
No, the internet killed it. Just like Video killed the radio star.