Long before Stanley Kubrick became the revered auteur responsible for films like A Clockwork Orange, The Shining, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and Full Metal Jacket, he was just a kid with a camera. And he truly was a kid. Kubrick was just seventeen when was hired as a staff photographer by the now defunct Look Magazine. As a native of the Bronx, Kubrick was a keen observer of the intricacies of the city, and throughout his five year career behind the lens, he portrayed the ins and outs of ordinary life in New York. From clubs to classrooms, from street corners to circuses, from boxing rings to bars, Kubrick shot society at all levels, capturing the collective frenzy of New York City in the late 1940’s. Below are just a smattering of the more than fifteen thousand images which Kubrick amassed from 1945 to 1950, but all of them can be found online at the website of the Museum of the City of New York.
Captivating images.The talent was clearly there from a young age. Thanks for sharing this.
Awesome post! We knew he was a photographer from watching Room 237, but they don’t show any of his pics or discuss his photography past that. You can tell he was talented even then. Very cool, good finds :)
Great pictures, plus you can see where Dr. Strangelove came from.
The boxing kids is a quality photo.
Oh my gosh! They’re all white. The pc police will not be happy.
Odd though. . . the gent in the formal wear is drinking Iron City lager. Iron City. From Pittsburgh, not New York. Any idea where that was taken?
That photograph of the kids boxing is so amazing. Also can’t help but notice the lack of head protection, no such thing as concussions back then!
Thanks Nick, these photos saved my afternoon. Reminded me that we have to believe in our own vision. Your eyes with your brain is the only such combo ever, past and future. …jb…