32 Rare Photographs Of New York City's Dreadful Subway In The '70s And '80s - AKA "Hell On Wheels"
These are a peculiar, vivid realm of their own rather than the inky blackness of the underground.
The New York City subway system was one of the most dreaded places to be in the late 1970s and early 1980s. For those of us who missed it, Swiss photographer Willy Spiller was there, and the dark and engrossing set of antique photos he took became known as Hell On Wheels.
Spiller lived in New York from 1977 to 1984, witnessing the birth of gangsta rap, the rise of graffiti art, and Ed Koch's electoral victory as mayor. Regrettably, he also witnessed parts of New York's history, such as a rise in crime, much of which occurred in the city's dreaded subway.
By 1980, the New York Police Department had over 2,300 policemen roaming the subway system at all times due to the increasing level of violent incidents. Spiller took chances and used his deft street photography to document what he saw.
Though the intriguing photographs were first published in 1984, Hell On Wheels was restored to its former glory in 2016. Spiller's old photos were printed in a special limited series of hardcover, vivid color coffee table books by Sturm & Drang publishing companies.
These images barely tell a story of crime and threat in people's lives; instead, Spiller discovered a peculiar, vivid realm of their own rather than the inky blackness of the underground. Scroll down and feast your eyes.
More info: Hell On Wheels (h/t: Vintage Everyday | DYT)
1. The warriors have come out to play...
Willy Spiller2. Well, this looks pretty cool
Willy Spiller3. I adore the fashion sense back then
Willy Spiller
4. My first thought is, hey, Freddie Mercury
Willy Spiller
5. It's definitely Mary from Little House on the Prairie... or maybe not
Willy Spiller
6. Boarding the train
Willy Spiller
7. I think the person on the right was male
Willy Spiller
8. Kubrick?
Willy Spiller
9. Just switch paper for a smartphone
Willy Spiller
10. Hey, what's going on over there?
Willy Spiller
11. I guess this is the only photo that doesn't have this eerie atmosphere
Willy Spiller
12. This is awesome on many levels
Willy Spiller
13. A lovely photo I could totally hang
Willy Spiller
14. The bus wall looks like a street wall that has so many paintings
Willy Spiller
15. This is either Jeff Goldblum or Serpico
Willy Spiller
16. Maybe he was from India...
Willy Spiller
17. Did I hear Stephen King?
Willy Spiller
18. He's like, "Surprise, Mother F**ker"
Willy Spiller
19. Now, cigarettes are bad
Willy Spiller
20. What are you talking about, Willis?
Willy Spiller
21. Was the spray can just invented?
Willy Spiller
22. Every train in the city is accessible through one of these many portals and ramps
Willy Spiller
23. The Broadway
Willy Spiller
24. Cagney and Lacey???
Willy Spiller
25. Zombie alert
Willy Spiller
26. The fancy, clean side of the subway near Saks Fifth Ave
Willy Spiller
27. Where all the famous walked among upside streets and sidewalks
Willy Spiller
28. The clean side goes from east to west side
Willy Spiller
29. Is this moving underneath Park Avenue & Hunter College?
Willy Spiller
30. Welcome Back, Kotter
Willy Spiller
31. It must've been a relief to finally get out of the subway
Willy Spiller
32. All of these pictures make me remember the Welcome Back, Kotter song
Willy Spiller
In science fiction movies and books, we can easily travel back in time via time machines to see how our favorite cities, like Paris, London, NYC, and others, were years ago. But in real life, we rely on pictures and videos.
We cannot be thankful enough for these throwback pictures that take us back in time. Which of the pictures caught your fancy the most?
