Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Video: 1970s NYC Returns To Life In The Photographs Of Meryl Meisler
By
Scott Heins
Published Mar 2, 2016
Modified Mar 2, 2016
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Meryl Meisler
View all 7
By
Scott Heins
Published Mar 2, 2016
Modified Mar 2, 2016
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Video by Jessica Leibowitz/Gothamist
Standing in front of a black-and-white portrait, photographer Meryl Meisler raised her hand and recited an oath—her own version of the Girl Scout oath. "On my honor I will try to do my duty to God and my country, and to do my best at this exhibit!"
Meisler forged her identity as she photographed the rollicking humanity of 1970s New York. She shot go-go girls clutching wrinkled dollar bills, punk rockers backstage at CBGB, circus performers at Madison Square Garden, and bouncers watching over Studio 54. Meisler has always been drawn to the noisy, crowded places where New Yorkers could just be themselves, and was often seen dancing in discos with her camera at the ready. Never an art scene celebrity, today Meisler's work is more popular, and powerful, than ever, and now her first-ever curated photography show is on display at Steven Kasher Gallery.
"When I first moved to New York City it was a tremendous financial crisis. People were struggling. It was a time of confusion. It was a time of distress...I felt I fit right in!" Meisler herself worked as a hostess at three different go-go clubs, and in her photos it's easy to feel her empathizing with the bartenders, high-rollers, DJs, and dancers who made up her world.
"I was in the midst of changing, myself," she said. "I wasn't sure who I was or what I wanted. I was in search of myself, and it seemed just right."
When she tired of the '70s disco scene, she found a job as an art teacher in Bushwick. She brought her camera along on her trips to and from the school, and the photographs she took during this, a distinctly different time in her life, show a bombed-out and burnt urban landscape. But despite Bushwick's riots, fires, and fighting, Meisler strove to capture humor and joy. In all of her images, there's as a vivid connection between photographer, subject, and life itself. Looking back at her portraits hanging on the gallery walls, Meisler sums it up perfectly: "They were there, they saw me. And then people just started being themselves."
Click through for a (NSFW) preview.
Meryl Meisler's photos on display through April 9th // Steven Kasher Gallery, 515 West 26th Street
Tagged
gothamist films
Meryl Meisler
steven Kasher Gallery
street photography
studio 54
Scott Heins
Scott Heins is a freelance photo and video journalist based in New York City, and a frequent contributor to Gothamist + WNYC. His work often centers around labor rights, housing, and policing. In 2018-2019 he traveled to four states while covering a wave of public school teachers strikes, with work featured in The New York Times, The Intercept, Getty Images, Splinter, and Bloomberg Photos. Scott is a dues-paying member of the National Writers Union's Freelance Solidarity Project.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
The hottest way to show you're an authentic New Yorker is… riding a Citi Bike?
Thanks to Dua Lipa, Kim Kardashian, Timothée Chalamet and more, the rideshare program is having a moment.
By
Lindsay Lee Wallace
Published Oct 8, 2026
Is NYC’s hottest attraction the free observation deck at 1 Centre Street?
If you're playing tourist in your own town, this is an in-demand option.
By
James Ramsay
Arts & Entertainment
Is NYC’s hottest attraction the free observation deck at 1 Centre Street?
If you're playing tourist in your own town, this is an in-demand option.
By
James Ramsay
What happens when NYC kids take lessons in rock music? Really good bands.
By
Jayson Greene
Inside a photographer's journey to visit every neighborhood in New York City
By
Sonia Rao
Banned books and Winnie the Pooh: October in NYC libraries
By
Alec Hamilton
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .