CROWDED SIDEWALK - NYC Teen in Foreground, 1977 Gelatin Silver Print

Original 1977 street photograph by Thomas Alan Schmidler (1933–1991), printed by the artist himself using gelatin silver processing. Captured with 35mm film, this vintage 5 x 7 inch print features a striking composition in which a young woman dominates the frame, slightly out of focus, with her gaze confronting the camera amid the bustling background of pedestrians and city life.

The image exemplifies Schmidler’s instinct for visual tension and human presence. The soft blur of the foreground subject contrasts with the rhythmic sharpness of the busy urban crowd behind her. This is a well-preserved, original darkroom print from the artist—not a reproduction—and a powerful example of 1970s New York street photography.

Schmidler earned an MFA in Painting from the University of Wisconsin and a master’s degree in Printmaking from Pratt Institute in New York. He taught art at the Brooklyn Museum, Pratt Institute, and Port Richmond High School, where he shared his knowledge of traditional techniques and visual storytelling. This image, part of a proofing series dated to the summer of 1977, reveals Schmidler’s intuitive, fine art approach to photography. His street scenes are more than documentation—they are intimate, technically precise studies of fleeting human moments within a gritty, ever-changing city. Each print stands as an authentic artifact of New York’s visual and cultural landscape.