New York city has been through so many eras; it’s a city that has been emblematic of all of America’s cultural shifts. From 1977-1984, Swiss photographer WILLY SPILLER lived in NYC and traveled on it’s gritty subway system, capturing its unique atmosphere. Most of the time, the subway was just the vehicle New York’s 7 million residents used to get around, but it was also a risky place to be. In 1981, there were 15,296 reported felonies on the New York subway, and according to a FOX 5 News report from the early 80s, even the robbers were getting robbed. Willy Spiller managed to keep his camera as he photographed the people who rode the trains every day. This photo series is featured in a book called Hell on Wheels, and it’s available as a hardcover book here. Check out a few of them below:
SUBWAY NEW YORK, 1977-1984 © by Willy Spiller 2016
