Stanley Kubrick’s Photos of New York Life in the 40s

You know how some people have an eye for things, well I think Stanley Kubrick had two. I came across some amazing photographs he took of New York in the 40’s and even though a lot of them are of seemingly ordinary things, they are still so beautifully lined up and considered that they look like they have been staged, even though they haven’t – I guess that is why he was one of the most famous directors in the world.

For those of you who may not know who Stanley Kubrick is, he directed these famous movies (just to name a few) A Clockwork Orange, Full Metal Jacket, Lolita, Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Shining, all amazing films.

– Kubrick’s special skill behind the camera and his ability to create visual intrigue were evident long before he was a Hollywood icon. Even at the age of 17, Kubrick was an immense talent. In 1945, for $25, he sold a photograph to Look magazine of a broken-hearted newsvendor reacting to the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. A few months later Kubrick joined Look’s staff to become the youngest staff photographer in the magazine’s history. He continued to work for Look until 1950 when he left to pursue filmmaking.

It was during this period that Kubrick’s respected—and often-imitated—style first became apparent. His photographs are vintage Kubrick: a complex blend of composition, drama, light and mystery.

Source: Twisted Sifter

Student at Columbia University – 1948

Walking the Streets of New York – 1946

Shoe Shine Boys – 1947

Circus Woman With Rollerskating Monkey – 1948

Waiting at the Dentist’s Office

Betsy Von Furstenberg – 1949

Circus Side Show Performer – 1948

Shoe Shine Boys (Vendor) – 1947

High Wire Act – 1948

Boxer Walter Cartier – 1948

Showgirls at the Copacabana Club – 1948

Changing the Tire – 1946

Girl with Dolls – 1947

Johnny Grant – 1946

Mens Fashion Show – 1948

Young Girl at Palisades Amusement Park – 1946

Johnny on the Spot – 1946

Police Athletic League Boxing – 1946

Laboratory at Columbia University – 1948

Shoe Shine Boys (On Fence) – 1947

Film Crew – 1947