Gary S. Davis

Jack Kerouac wandering along East 7th Street after visiting Burroughs at our pad, passing statue of Congressman Samuel "Sunset" Cox, "The Letter-Carrier's Friend" in Tompkins Square toward corner of Avenue A, Lower East Side; he's making a Dostoyevsky mad-face or Russian basso be-bop Om, first walking around the neighborhood, then involved with The Subterraneans, pencils & notebook in wool shirt-pockets, Fall 1953, Manhattan.

Allen Ginsberg

1953, printed 1990

gelatin silver print Accession ID 2009.108.2

Not on view

A man sits smiling, cross-legged on a bed with his elbows wrapped around his raised knees in this square black and white photograph. The man’s body is angled slightly to our right, and he looks off, grinning, in that direction. His short dark hair is brushed up and back away from his forehead, and he wears dark, round-framed glasses with thick lenses. The man’s white button-down shirt is rolled up to the elbows, and he wears a tie patterned with dark diamonds against a light background. His hairy legs are bare, and he wears argyle-patterned socks. On one arm, he wears a wristwatch and grips his other wrist with that hand. He holds a nearly burned-down cigarette with that other hand. The bedspread has floral patterns, and curtains are blurry on the far right side of the room. Handwriting below the photograph reads, “Carl Solomon in his Prince Street apartment several years after we were locked up together in residence on Sixth Floor Ward, New York State Psychiatric Institute. He got shock treatments, introduced me to Jean Genet's Miracle of the Rose and Antonin Artaud's Van Gogh, The Man Suicided by Society translations, I stayed eight months, weekends off. Afterwards, working mid-town at his uncle's Ace Books publications, he gave Kerouac small advance on first On the Road sketches (scroll later rejected), saw Jaime DeAngulo's classic Indian Tales first hard-back through press, and edited William Burroughs' Junkie paperback first edition. New York, 1953. Allen Ginsberg.”

Carl Solomon in his Prince Street apartment several years after we were locked up together in residence on Sixth Floor ward, New York State Psychiatric Institute. He got shock treatments, introduced me to Jean Genet’s Miracle of the Rose and Antonin Artaud’s Van Gogh, The Man Suicided by Society translations, I stayed eight months, weekends off. Afterwards, working mid-town at his uncle’s Ace Books publications, he gave Kerouac small advance on first On the Road sketches (scroll later rejected), saw Jaime DeAngulo’s classic Indian Tales first hard-back through press, & edited William Burroughs’ Junkie paperback first edition. New York, 1953.

Allen Ginsberg

1953, printed 1995

gelatin silver print Accession ID 2008.131.15

Not on view

We went uptown to look at Mayan Codices at Museum of Natural History & Metropolitan Museum of Art to view Carlo Crivelli’s green-hued Christ-face with crown of thorns stuck symmetric in his skull — here Egyptian wing William Burroughs with a brother Sphinx, Fall 1953 Manhattan.

Allen Ginsberg

1953, printed later

gelatin silver print Accession ID 2009.103.6

Not on view

Lucien Carr, his apartment above Sheridan Square, working then for U.P.I.

Allen Ginsberg

1953, printed later

gelatin silver print Accession ID 2012.118.56

Not on view

Alene Lee, her friend Jack Kerouac, time of "The Subterraneans," friend Bob Merims in shadow, my apartment East 7th Street New York Fall 1953.

Allen Ginsberg

1953, printed 1990

gelatin silver print Accession ID 2013.145.46

Not on view

Myself seen by William Burroughs, Kodak Retina new-bought 2’d hand from Bowery hock-shop, our apartment roof Lower East Side between Avenues B & C, Tompkins Park trees under new antennae. Alan Ansen, Gregory Corso & Jack Kerouac visited, Jack’s The Subterraneans records much of the scene, Burroughs & I edited letter-manuscripts he’d sent from Mexico & South America, Alene Lee (“Mardou Fox” of The Subterraneans) typed final drafts. Neighborhood was heavily Polish & Ukranian, some artists, junkies, medical students, cheap restaurants like “Leshkos” corner 7th & A, rent was only ¼ of my monthly $120 wage as newspaper copyboy. Time of “The Green Automobile” poem to Cassady, Fall 1953.

Allen Ginsberg

1953, printed 1995

gelatin silver print Accession ID 2009.108.1

Not on view

Jack Kerouac 1953 Seen through window sill lined with books, from Fire Escape 206 E. 7 St. N.Y.C. He was living or writing Subterraneans

Allen Ginsberg

1953, printed later

gelatin silver print Accession ID 2011.146.24

Not on view

William S. Burroughs fixing typescript of Yage Letters at kitchen table 206 East 7th Street New York Fall 1953.

Allen Ginsberg

1953, printed later

gelatin silver print Accession ID 2013.145.45

Not on view

William Burroughs amusing himself with 1953's recent translation of St.-Jean Perse's Vents, living room floor 206 East 7th Street New York City, Fall '53.

Allen Ginsberg

1953, printed later

gelatin silver print Accession ID 2010.137.22

Not on view

Bill must've said something funny from the floor, we were taking snapshots of each other on same couch, my $13.00 Kodak Retina pawn-shop camera in Burroughs' hands. He stayed in the apartment East 7th Street between Avenues B & C most of that Fall 1953.

Allen Ginsberg

1953, printed later

gelatin silver print Accession ID 2008.131.33

Not on view

Jack Kerouac looking out window Apartment 16, 206 East 7th Street Lower East Side Manhattan, view from fire-escape, books on the sill, broom handle and old tenement wallpaper in afternoon sun, WM. Burroughs was staying at my place then, Fall 1953.

Allen Ginsberg

1953, printed 1989

gelatin silver print Accession ID 2010.137.25

Not on view

Bill Burroughs in back bedroom waiting for company, he’d arrived from South America in August & we stayed together in my apartment till December working on Yage Letters and Queer manuscripts – Ace Books’d printed first paperback Junky edition that Spring. “I come home from work [at N.Y. World- Telegram, newspaper copyboy] 4:45 and we talk till one A.M. or later . . . am all hung up in a great psychic marriage with him for the month —,” so I wrote to Neal Cassady, September 4, 1953.

Allen Ginsberg

1953, printed later

gelatin silver print Accession ID 2008.131.2

Not on view

Gary S. Davis

We went uptown to look at Mayan Codices at Museum of Natural History & Metropolitan Museum of Art to view Carlo Crivelli’s green-hued Christ-face with crown of thorns stuck symmetric in his skull — here Egyptian wing William Burroughs with a brother Sphinx, Fall 1953 Manhattan.

We went uptown to look at Mayan Codices at Museum of Natural History & Metropolitan Museum of Art to view Carlo Crivelli’s green-hued Christ-face with crown of thorns stuck symmetric in his skull — here Egyptian wing William Burroughs with a brother Sphinx, Fall 1953 Manhattan.

Lucien Carr, his apartment above Sheridan Square, working then for U.P.I.

Lucien Carr, his apartment above Sheridan Square, working then for U.P.I.

Alene Lee, her friend Jack Kerouac, time of "The Subterraneans," friend Bob Merims in shadow, my apartment East 7th Street New York Fall 1953.

Alene Lee, her friend Jack Kerouac, time of "The Subterraneans," friend Bob Merims in shadow, my apartment East 7th Street New York Fall 1953.

Jack Kerouac 1953 Seen through window sill lined with books, from Fire Escape 206 E. 7 St. N.Y.C. He was living or writing Subterraneans

Jack Kerouac 1953 Seen through window sill lined with books, from Fire Escape 206 E. 7 St. N.Y.C. He was living or writing Subterraneans

William S. Burroughs fixing typescript of Yage Letters at kitchen table 206 East 7th Street New York Fall 1953.

William S. Burroughs fixing typescript of Yage Letters at kitchen table 206 East 7th Street New York Fall 1953.

William Burroughs amusing himself with 1953's recent translation of St.-Jean Perse's Vents, living room floor 206 East 7th Street New York City, Fall '53.

William Burroughs amusing himself with 1953's recent translation of St.-Jean Perse's Vents, living room floor 206 East 7th Street New York City, Fall '53.

Bill must've said something funny from the floor, we were taking snapshots of each other on same couch, my $13.00 Kodak Retina pawn-shop camera in Burroughs' hands. He stayed in the apartment East 7th Street between Avenues B & C most of that Fall 1953.

Bill must've said something funny from the floor, we were taking snapshots of each other on same couch, my $13.00 Kodak Retina pawn-shop camera in Burroughs' hands. He stayed in the apartment East 7th Street between Avenues B & C most of that Fall 1953.

Jack Kerouac looking out window Apartment 16, 206 East 7th Street Lower East Side Manhattan, view from fire-escape, books on the sill, broom handle and old tenement wallpaper in afternoon sun, WM. Burroughs was staying at my place then, Fall 1953.

Jack Kerouac looking out window Apartment 16, 206 East 7th Street Lower East Side Manhattan, view from fire-escape, books on the sill, broom handle and old tenement wallpaper in afternoon sun, WM. Burroughs was staying at my place then, Fall 1953.

West Building

East Building

Sculpture Garden

Gary S. Davis

Results

West Building

East Building

Sculpture Garden

Subscribe