Curated by Joseph A. Gornail & Steven D. Garcia of Fine Print New York • 315 Madison Avenue • Email Us • 212.619.5446

History of New York City - 1975 to 1980

All of the misfortune and poverty of the early 1970’s would come to a head in the latter part of the decade. The city faced its darkest hours as it continued to deteriorate into crime and disarray. In 1977, the entire city loses electrical power in a massive blackout. Unlike the previous blackout twelve years earlier, this one is followed by widespread rioting and looting. Many neighborhoods, most notably Bushwick, were almost completely demolished. The city seeks to update its lagging image with the I ♥ NY advertising campaigns designed by Milton Glaser.

A bird's eye view of the Queensboro Bridge, Spanning East river & Blackwell's Island, with Manhattan's iconic skyline in the background.

1975: Aerial View of Queensborough Bridge and Manhattan

A bird's eye view of the Queensboro Bridge, Spanning East river & Blackwell's Island, with Manhattan's iconic skyline in the background.

Photograph of New York City's Skyline after sunset.

1975: Manhattan Skyline at Dusk

Photograph of New York City's Skyline after sunset.

Photograph of New York City's skyscrapers as dusk approaches. Taken on January 10th, 1975.

1975: New York City Skyline Lights

Photograph of New York City's skyscrapers as dusk approaches. Taken on January 10th, 1975.

View looking East of the Brooklyn Bridge, spanning the East River between Park Row, Manhattan and Sands Street, Brooklyn.

1978: Aerial View of the Brooklyn Bridge

View looking East of the Brooklyn Bridge, spanning the East River between Park Row, Manhattan and Sands Street, Brooklyn.

Aerial photograph of traffic on the Manhattan Bridge.

1978: Bird's Eye View of the Manhattan Bridge

Aerial photograph of traffic on the Manhattan Bridge.

Aerial photograph of the Lower East Side with Midtown Manhattan in the distance.

1978: Lower East Side from Above

Aerial photograph of the Lower East Side with Midtown Manhattan in the distance.

A few of the alternative designs for the World Trade Center proposed by architect Minori Yamasaki.

1976: Alternate Designs for the World Trade Center

A few of the alternative designs for the World Trade Center proposed by architect Minori Yamasaki.

Aerial photograph of the Brooklyn Bridge over the East River.

1978: Brooklyn Bridge and Lower Manhattan Skyline

Aerial photograph of the Brooklyn Bridge over the East River.

Photograph of Brooklyn with Lower Manhattan skyline in the background.

1978: Aerial View of Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges

Photograph of Brooklyn with Lower Manhattan skyline in the background.

Built at the corner termination of a three store row on Peck Slip for Jasper Ward in 1807, this Federal style building stood next to one of the most important and longest lasting slips in New York City. Like most of the other seaport buildings, 45 Peck Slip became part of the fish market in the late 19th century.

1976: Corner of South Street and Peck Slip

Built at the corner termination of a three store row on Peck Slip for Jasper Ward in 1807, this Federal style building stood next to one of the most important and longest lasting slips in New York City. Like most of the other seaport buildings, 45 Peck Slip became part of the fish market in the late 19th century.

Aerial photograph of the Washington Bridge across the Harlem River, connecting the boroughs of Manhattan and The Bronx.

1978: Washington Bridge

Aerial photograph of the Washington Bridge across the Harlem River, connecting the boroughs of Manhattan and The Bronx.

Photograph of the Lower East SIde, looking down Henry Street towards the World Trade Center.

1978: Lower East Side View of the Twin Towers

Photograph of the Lower East SIde, looking down Henry Street towards the World Trade Center.

Color photograph of the Third Avenue Elevated Railroad tracks on a clear day.

1978: Third Avenue Elevated

Color photograph of the Third Avenue Elevated Railroad tracks on a clear day.

Next Chapter: History of New York City - 1980 to 1985
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Frequently Asked Questions

What Is History101.nyc?

Welcome to the History of New York City - A Unique Online Gallery of NYC's Origins, Curated and Digitally Restored by Fine Print New York.

We're opening our archives to present this Collection of Vintage Photos, Historical Images and Rare Lithographs. This Exclusive Series of High Quality Art Prints are only Available for Purchase Exclusively on this Site.

Who started History101.nyc?

Joseph Gornail, printer/photographer and founder of Fine Print New York. Joseph grew up in SoHo, Manhattan and is part of a long lineage of NYC printers, learning the family trade from his grandfather. While working for Dolo Records/Stretch Armstrong in 1996, Joseph founded All City Marketing & Printing, and in 1999 Co-Founded the legendary street wear company "Orchard Street " with lifelong friends Benjamin Holloway and Greig Bennett. Fine Print NYC was established in 2004 with a Nike project being the launchpad for a commercial printing company that has not only survived, but thrived in the digital age.

Steven Garcia, designer/illustrator and creative director of Fine Print New York. Born and raised in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Steven attended Fashion Industries High School and F.I.T. before building a successful career at Saatchi & Saatchi for as a professional retoucher and storyboard artist in 1995. Steven started ShinyDesign in 1998 and partnered with Fine Print in 2004 as the exclusive design firm for the company. Steven has independently worked on major advertising campaigns for many brands over the years, such as Snapple, The Waldorf Astoria and Sony to name a few.

Together, Joseph & Steven are responsible for the curation and direction of the History101.nyc project, which has been under development since 2006. They have a long history of collaborating together, going back as far as 2001 when Joseph was gallery manager and Steven was a curator at The New York City Urban Experience, an art gallery & museum that was located at 85 South Street and owned by Mike Saes of the Nike Bridge Runners and True Yorkers.

What Time Periods, Eras, Decades of NYC History are available?

We cover a great portion of the city's history, ranging from its earliest days as New Amsterdam to the late 1980s. Artists are currently working on photos from the 90s to present day,

Here's a current list of what is covered:

Dutch Era: When New York Was New Amsterdam

NYC in the 1600s

Georgian Era

NYC in the 1700s • NYC from 1800 to 1850

Victorian Era

NYC in the 1850s • NYC in the 1860s • NYC in the 1870s • NYC in the 1880s

Progressive Era

NYC in the 1890s • NYC from 1900 to 1905 • 1905 to 1910 • 1910 to 1915 • 

World War 1

NYC from 1915 to 1920

Art Deco

NYC from 1920 to 1925 • NYC from 1925 to 1930

Depression Era

NYC from 1930 to 1935 • NYC from 1935 to 1940

World War 2

NYC from 1940 to 1945

MidCentury Modern Era

NYC from 1945 to 1950 • 1950 to 1955 • 1955 to 1960 • 1960 to 1965 • 1965 to 1970

Energy Crisis

NYC from 1970 to 1975 • 1975 to 1980

Reagan Era

NYC from 1980 to 1985 • 1985 to 1990
How many historical Images are on this site?

There are currently 714 photos, lithographs, illustrations and maps on this site. Each one has been digitally restored and cleaned up by hand, which makes this collection truly unique.

Can I License Any of These Images?

Digital licenses are available for educational institutions (schools, universities, non-profit organizations). Please contact legal@fineprintnyc.com to discuss conditions for licensing.

NOTE: Any form of commercialization or redistribution of these images, either as tangible goods or third party licenses, is expressly forbidden.

Can I purchase prints of the historical images available on the site?

History101.nyc is an ad-free and non-profit learning resource. We do not sell prints of these images. All operational costs are covered by Fine Print NYC

Do you accept admissions to this collection?

Absolutely! Feel free to send us an email with a preview of the image and we will let you know if it's a good fit for the archives.

How do you handle feedback or corrections regarding the historical context of images?

We welcome any feedback that you may have. If it proves to be historically accurate the changes will be reflected on the site shortly after our correspondence.

Do you collaborate with other historical societies or archives?

We have collaborated with NYC's Municipal Archives, The Tenemant Museum, Bronx Historical Society and a number of prominent NYC photographers to produce a series of limited edition postcards which free of charge, but only available via street distribution, primarily in Manhattan.

Do you also provide image restoration as a service for personal photos?

Yes, we can repair, restore and cleanup your old family photos, slides and negatives. You can either send us the digital files or the original photos to be professionally scanned.

Can you repair any type of image damage?

We can restore just about any level of damage or signs of aging, within reason. As long as most of the photo is intact we cn work with it. The one flaw we cannot fix is source material that is blurry. A poorly take photo can only be improved so much.

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History101.NYC is an ad-free learning resource available to the public at no charge.
This project is dedicated to exploring New York’s fascinating heritage through the restoration of vintage photographs and prints.