Timeline
Born 1926 — Died 1997
1920s
Dorothy Norman (b. 1903-), Philadelphia, libertarian editor, author intimate of Nehru, Indira Gandhi often stayed in her house on East 70th Manhattan, I met Martin Luther King in this same room, Companion of Alfred Stieglitz who photographed her form so many times her hands, her own photographs of him are seen in several books. I used to visit here, eat cookies & drinks tea, several times a year. Still Alive 1995!
Out my New York kitchen window December 3, 1987, bare leaves, year end.
Robert Frank and Allen Ginsberg at Frank's Apartment
1940s
Allen Ginsberg, utility man S.S. John Blair first back from Galveston-Dakar Doldrums trip, I handed my camera to the radio-man on the ship's fantail, smoking what? In New York harbor, circa October 30, 1947.
Neal Cassady driving his oldsmobile down Bayshore Highway, San Francisco to Los Gatos, circa 1954, I sat in the backseat, the car rocked with Rhythm & Blues Radio.; Self-Portrait in Darkroom of Associated Press Office, Rockefeller Center Manhattan, I was a copyboy on the night shift, 1948. A.G.; Street cornerman’s tintype, Alameda Park, Mexico City: Jack Kerouac, myself in sombrero, Peter Orlovsky coat over shoulder, Gregory Corso kneeling with Lafcadio Orlovsky age 16, A.D. 1956. See Kerouac’s _Desolation Angels_ for account of this trip.
1950s
Louis Ginsberg in our house 416 East 34th Street Paterson, late 1950's?
Fond Kiki William's friend, W.S. Burroughs, Chris Wanklin at another table in T-shirt, Soco Chico Tanger Maroc circa mid-fifties, negative in my archives.
Jack Kerouac at Staten Island Ferry Wharf, we used to wander docksides under Manhattan’s bridges & thru truck parking lots along East River singing rawbone Blues, Leadbelly’s “Black Girl” or “Eli Eli,” chanting Poe’s “Annabelle Lee” & shouting Hart Crane’s “O Harp & Altar of the Fury fused!” or “Atlantis” to Brooklyn Bridge’s traffic spanned above. Time of his _Doctor Sax_ & _The Subterraneans_, Burroughs was in town, up from Mexico, New York, Fall 1953.
The first shopping cart street prophet I'd directly noticed, fall leaves scattered on Tompkins Park sidewalk, Avenue A & St. Mark's Place, over 40 years ago. Leshko's Restaurant was cheap and popular as at present on the corner a block south, I had my snapshots developed at a drugstore near Park Center eatery across the street on S. W. Corner, & was living with W. S. Burroughs a few blocks away 206 East 7th street - working as copyboy on now-defunct "New York World Telegram," my apartment rent $29.00 a month, three small rooms. October, 1953.
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1960s
Peter Orlovsky seated handsome mysterious-haired, William Burroughs thoughtful with hat to shade Mediterranean sun, camera in hand, Alan Ansen relaxed visiting from Venice to help type _The Soft Machine_ cut-up writings, Gregory Corso sunglassed and Minox’d, Paul Bowles with elegant striped tie squinting in bright mid-morning light—all assembled, myself on right with cigarette & white trousers, at garden wall outside Bill’s single room Villa Muniria, my Kodak Retina probably in Michael Portman’s hands July 1961 Tangier Moroc.
Bill Burroughs "impersonating a detective with magnifying glass in hand ... Sherlock Holmes, or shabby Chinese detective in Saigon ... look at that stain on the suit." He took photos of sky, boys, streets, then photos of these photos, by stages drawing forth essences, re-photographing images of boy-stuff or blue sky, here collaged under glass plates on his bureau. Some cut-up photos from magazines, left. Calligraphy on Wardrobe closet Burroughs' adaptation of Brion Gysin's brushwork. Tangier Summer 1961. Bill's words above, 1988.
Bill Burroughs with camera in his room Villa Muniria Tangier 1961. His writing desk.
Gregory Corso - Tangier 1961 - Peter & my room -
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1970s
1980s
Steven Taylor
Bill Wyman
Peter Orlovsky at James Joyce’s grave, Zurich Switzerland December 1980, we climbed up to the cemetery and found Joyce’s statue snow covered, brushed it off his head.
Gutterboy band—Barb Morrison, Dito Montiel Danny Hulsizer with button shirt & his brother Eric, with drummer Johnny Koncz on Canal Street
+194
1990s
Untitled
Improvisation in Beijing
Jimmy Osterberg, the musician Iggy Pop, in his new apartment Tompkins Square East-- Don Was, producing his recent album, had rushed me to run over to Pop's house in same neighborhood I lived & try taking photo for cover-- not used, but I liked this clean uplifted finger. Lower East Side Manhattan April 14, 1990.
Bob Dylan, Tompkins Square Park, ten minutes later we were chased out onto Avenue A by homeless men sleeping in the bandshell who threw bottles at us mistakenly thinking we were taking their pictures. May 21, 1990.
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