Nelson Sullivan's Christopher Street Scenes of the 1970s

Super 8 films shot by Nelson Sullivan on and around Christopher Street in the 1970s. These five reels feature shots of everyday life, focusing on pedestrians, traffic, and the buildings in the area, beginning with a long shot of the vacant Stonewall Inn. Other scenes feature Paws and Claws pet shop, the intersection of Christopher and Gay Street, Tor Restaurant, Rastro Importers (383 Bleecker Street), Frankel Pharmacy, Village Cigars, Riker's, the Christopher Street-Sheridan Square 1 Train station, St. Veronica's Church, and the inside of the former post office at 152 Christopher Street. The final reel begins on the uptown platform of the 1 station, where Nelson boards the train and rides for several stops before the film runs out.
In addition to the videotapes Nelson shot from 1983-89, for which he is better known, the Nelson Sullivan Video Collection at NYU Special Collections (MSS.357) contains 59 reels of silent Super 8 film, which were digitized in 2018 and are now described in the collection's finding aid (dlib.nyu.edu/findingaids/html/....
Nelson Sullivan Video Collection (MSS.357), NYU Special Collections
Excerpts in this reel are from the following items: cuid6946, cuid6941, cuid6926, cuid6943, cuid6955

[@WilliamByronIs]

Thank Heaven for Nelson. This is gorgeous. He's the greatest of time travelers.

[@thruthealcove]

Judging from the Tales From The Crypt movie poster in the train station, and the stage the Twin Towers where in, Nelson shot these films in 1972.

[@ImOnlySleeping909]

Please upload more of his work - Dick Richards uploading the videos that he did on KZbin brought Nelson and his friends back to life. There’s so still much of his work not yet seen. It would be a disservice not to publish more of it after being in possession of his collection for so many years.

[@tatsf]

This is pretty much the Christopher St/Village that I came of age in back in the 70s. Probably shot a bit earlier than I was there regularly (~1975 -->). It also looks to be shot mostly during the day on a weekday. In the evenings and on weekends it was much less mixed and much more crowded with gay men. Many straight folks wouldn't go further west than 7th Ave during those times. So glad that Nelson shot so much film footage of the Village and that it has been preserved and shared!

[@enricovankeeken1624]

*....in 1996 at the end of C street by the Hudson river i met a boy named Marcello Velazquez ~~ i will ALWAYS Also love him most!!! ~~ i have alOt in common with **#DrewBarrymore** 💚❤‍🔥*

[@noongourfain]

Makes my heart ache with nostalgia. I grew up right there. My mother worked for a Feminist paper called "Majority Report". Offices on Sheridan Sq. They had a famous headline: "SPERM CAUSES CANCER".

[@r3ntz699]

Haha you’re mother sounds like a interesting woman! I hope your doing well

[@aviratica6370]

Rest in peace Nelson

[@Risteard156]

Even back in 1970 it was very expensive to live there today to prices are outrageous excellent video 💯👍

[@frankstroveliii6229]

RIP Nelson. Thirty one years ago today (7/4/89).

[@kevind2409]

Not sure how I ended up at his videos but they're now something I hold as sonhigh value and enriching. I also feel this kind of connection with him from seeing the world through his eyes. A true pioneer and trailblazer. A true selfless artist at a time where he wa surrounded by so many creations who were focused on themselves whether to good or bad effect. So grateful for this art

[@enricovankeeken1624]

*i will ALWAYS have SuzannexVega´s `Solitude Standing´ to listen to ... And as sOOn as i find my disc of patti_$mith´s h0rses..i throw it out of one of the many windows the house i´m living in has*

[@helencollins2942]

Ahhh no cell phones in sight!

[@eugenekozma2697]

Interesting.i have seen a few of nelsons other movies.i was born in 1975.i take occasional day trips to new york.so this photographic history is fun.that one shot looks like hectors on washington street.

[@roderickfiske4769]

Amazing

[@RPMac]

Brilliant to have...but camera handling is pretty bad....but hey...it's captured history ! So......

[@billjoang]

WTC still under construction

[@tommasocioppa5403]

Wow. Grazie dall'Italia ❤️

[@HowDidIGet3700Subs]

i miss nelson even though i never knew him

[@enricovankeeken1624]

*i sOmetimes miss my dad..Ánd i knew him*

[@vajraloka1]

Anyone remember the 'Bagel and.." ?

[@MOONSIP2]

I used to eat there all the time in the late 70s. What ever happened to that place?

[@twinsonic]

Lots of history, 10/10. Using a camera 2/10

[@skipads5141]

Check out Nelson Sullivan's later videos. He certainly became a master with the camera and a thoroughly engaging narrator.

[@jeffmorse645]

Always heard of Christopher Street. Figured it'd be somewhat like Castro St. in SF in the 70s. Its not.

[@premeditatedkiller]

Seems like all those guys who lived there then were in the closet.

[@harrymonk6]

Why u stealing nelsons work ffs

[@erinolsen8062]

they own the archive and are preserving it. stop being a jerk to people doing good things.

[@harrymonk6]

@@erinolsen8062 whos they that own it?

[@erinolsen8062]

@@harrymonk6 they physically own the tapes and are digitizing and preserving them.

[@erinolsen8062]

@@harrymonk6 Specifically its new york university that has the tapes and is digitizing and preserving them. Theyre honoring nelson and making sure his works stay around for as long as possible, not stealing his works.

[@harrymonk6]

@@erinolsen8062 ok calm down!