Lower East Side, 1975: Portrait of a Changing Jewish Neighborhood

Museum at Eldridge Street

December 3, 2024

May 11, 2025

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On Tuesday, December 3, the Museum at Eldridge Street will debut a new exhibition, Lower East Side, 1975: Portrait of a Changing Jewish Neighborhood, featuring never-before-seen photographs of the Lower East Side in the 1970s, a pivotal era of transformation in the neighborhood and across New York City.

This exhibition presents photographs taken in 1975 by Richard Marc Sakols. A young student at the time, Sakols ventured down to the Lower East Side to explore the neighborhood where his grandmother was born. With his Pentax SLR, he captured iconic Jewish institutions amidst a diverse and evolving streetscape. His photos of the Eldridge Street Synagogue, taken on a tour led by historian Gerard Wolfe, showcase the precarious state of the building, then in disrepair after years of neglect, and provide a unique glimpse into the earliest efforts to document and preserve its legacy.

“I spent my days wandering those streets for weeks on end to preserve a visual record of the Lower East Side,” said Sakols. In the process, he also captured a neighborhood in flux. The Lower East Side has long been a welcome mat for America’s newest arrivals, and these photos showcase the dynamism and life of the area. In 1900, the neighborhood was the most densely populated on the planet. Approximately 2 million Jews immigrated to the Lower East Side, predominantly from Eastern Europe, between the late 19th century and the immigration quotas of 1924. By the 1970s, much of the neighborhood’s Jewish population had moved away seeking more spacious and comfortable living conditions. More recent arrivals, notably from Latin America and China, along with a bevy of young artists drawn by low rents, ushered in a new chapter of the Lower East Side story. The photographs of Lower East Side, 1975 shed light on this heady cultural moment.

“We are honored to present this unique collection of photographs with the public,” said Museum at Eldridge Street Executive Director Bonnie Dimun. “These snapshots offer the viewer a colorful portal to Lower East Side memories.”

During the exhibition’s run, the Museum at Eldridge Street will offer a series of related public programs and will provide interactive audio/visual companions through Bloomberg Connects. There will be an exhibition opening reception on Tuesday, December 3, from 6-8PM. A press preview will take place at 5PM. Visit the Museum’s website at eldridgestreet.org for updates and information. For more information about Lower East Side, 1975, please visit www.eldridgestreet.org/les-1975. The exhibition will be on view through Sunday May 11, 2025.

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