Black and White Photos of Teenage Gangs of New York City in 1959

In the summer of 1959, 25-year-old photographer Bruce Davidson read about the teenage gangs of New York City. Connecting with a social worker to make initial contact with a gang, Davidson became a daily observer and photographer of this alienated youth culture. At the time there were an estimated thousand gang members in New York City.

teenage-gangs-NYC-1959

teenage-gangs-NYC-1959

teenage-gangs-NYC-1959

teenage-gangs-NYC-1959

teenage-gangs-NYC-1959

teenage-gangs-NYC-1959

teenage-gangs-NYC-1959

teenage-gangs-NYC-1959

teenage-gangs-NYC-1959

teenage-gangs-NYC-1959