TWO GIRLS IN BASEBALL SHIRTS - Urban Sidewalk Scene 1979 Gelatin Silver Photo

This original 5 x 7 inch black and white gelatin silver photograph was taken and hand-developed by Thomas Alan Schmidler in New York City in the spring of 1979. It features two young women walking briskly down a city sidewalk, dressed in matching baseball-style shirts and caps. Behind them, large store windows are covered in handwritten signs advertising bargains on juice, paper goods, and canned vegetables, placing them squarely in a working-class commercial district.

Schmidler captures not just motion, but the atmosphere of the era—an everyday moment rich in youth, energy, and street life. The slight blur of movement and shadow across the sidewalk adds urgency and realism, as if the viewer is passing by alongside them. As always, Schmidler printed this image in his own darkroom, maintaining full control over contrast and tone. The result is a crisp and authentic street scene, emblematic of his documentarian eye and sensitivity to the rhythms of ordinary life in 1970s New York.