Underground New York in the 70s as captured by photographer David Godlis

American photographer David Godlis began taking pictures in the early 70s. During the day, he searched for interesting shots on the streets of New York, and at night he photographed in the cult club "CBGB", which is called the cradle of underground rock and roll and punk rock. In Godlis's pictures, we can see both ordinary residents of the Big Apple and future world stars, who were taking their first steps towards success at that time.

David Godlis was born in Manhattan, New York in 1951. He first picked up a camera at the age of 19 while studying literature at Boston University. At first, David wasn’t interested in photography. Later, he said that he bought a camera because guys with cameras looked cool and modern.

But the camera was not a banal accessory for Godlis for long. Very soon he realized that his calling was not literature, but photography. Among the many young writers, David did not stand out in any way, but his photographs enjoyed great success. Moreover, Godlis was best at spontaneous shots taken on the street.

In 1975, David returned from Boston to his native New York and discovered the nightclub "CBGB". There he met future rock and punk rock stars Patti Smith, Joey Ramone, Richard Hell, Blondie, Dictators, Talking Heads, Dead Boys. He was drawn to the club like a magnet and came there almost every night, his pockets stuffed with reels of film.

The CBGB establishment closed only in 2006 and was considered iconic and legendary. It was written about in the memoirs of celebrities, it was celebrated in films and books. David Godlis was a true chronicler of the club for many years, preserving thousands of shots of its visitors and artists for history.

Hopelessly in love with the New York underground, the photographer did not give up his first passion - street photography. Godlis' lens captured both eccentric city dwellers who made you smile and the most ordinary people going about their business. Godlis published the best 200 photographs in a separate book called "Godlis Streets".

Another master of photography who dedicated his work to the informal movements of New York in the 70s is Bob Gruen. How important do you think it is to preserve the atmosphere of the time through street and music photography? Can a picture convey the spirit of the era better than words? Share your thoughts in the comments — we are interested to hear your opinion.