A 17-Year-Old Stanley Kubrick’s Photos Of 1940s New York

Stanley Kubrick was a lot of things. He was hard to work with, he wasn’t always easy to agree with, and he was kind of a pushy guy when it came to getting his way. But he was also a brilliant director with a unique vision that was his from a young age. He looked at things and people in a different light than most of us realize is possible and brought that vision forward in a way that some people didn’t fully understand until it was explained to them.

In these photos you’ll find a vision of Kubrick’s that went a ways beyond mere pictures. It shows you a world that once was and might never come again.

Trust me, you won’t be likely to catch anyone doing this without a guarantee of safety and a specifically approved rig that won’t break or malfunction.

Smoking was a completely different matter in the 40’s, people did it because they wanted to and it was hip to do in public places.

Hot dog stands were the norm to find on the street nearly everywhere in New York. It’s still that way, but there’s a lot more of them now and even a lot different kinds of food being served.

You had to be a little tougher as a kid in the 40’s. There weren’t as many options for entertainment and there were a lot more expectations placed on kids.

Can you imagine a kid doing this today? The parents would get roasted on social media.

To be honest it looks like certain fashions are making a comeback.

Women were given a seat before men, it was kind of unheard of to sit if a woman needed a seat.

I’m kind of hoping this woman’s dress caught Kubrick’s eye and not something else.

That flash is certainly bright in the subway.

If you were a kid that wanted money you learned how to go out and earn it.

Not sure what this guy is doing but without being tied off it seems kind of dangerous.

Dressing up for events was a lot more common back in the 40’s.

The shoe styles were a lot different as well.

There were such things as lifts and elevators but they weren’t always relied on. Some people stuck to the old ways.

This kind of looks like a script that the woman is reading. Maybe it was part of what put Kubrick on his path.

You might look at this today and figure that Kubrick was just another hormonal young man, but the look on his face suggests he’s trying to get a good shot.

Is it my imagination or were the youth in that day a lot tougher than kids nowadays?

Dollies were certainly one of the more popular girls’ toys back then. But of course we hadn’t raised the issue of gender norms in such a riotous fashion yet either.

Inventions were being created and improve on aplenty in this time and throughout the years moving forward.

It’s really interesting to see what kind of things drew Kubrick’s eye. Also, it looks like he spent a lot of time in the subways.

Even back then people fell asleep on the subway. It was likely a lot easier with actual cushions on the benches.

A little forced perspective is always nice to see.

Some things haven’t changed much since the good old days.

Heartbreak was nothing new back then, neither was self-expression.

Some couples used any and every space they could to just get some alone time it seems.

Shoe shine boys were far more prevalent on the streets during this time and were often quite good at what they did.

After all, their livelihood depended on it.

Being a bellman seems like a job that might lend itself to certain abuses. When was the last time you enjoyed walking someone else’s dog?

I would not want to be the person sitting in that seat after this bunch.

The guy almost looks like he’s ready to toss the wrench at Kubrick if he doesn’t help him.

Kubrick had a definite fascination with the subway system.

Call him eccentric or call him a little nuts, but the fact remains that Kubrick was a genius that saw many things that others didn’t.

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