Flo Fox began her career as a photographer in New York City in 1972. For the better part of her career, Flo Fox has been legally blind, as a result of multiple sclerosis that she contracted when she was thirty. She is Totally disabled from the neck down and has been confined to a wheelchair since 1999, Flo now shoots with an automatic camera and directs friends, attendants or people in the street to take pictures for her.
Throughout her career and with an archive of over 130,000 works, Flo photographed various subjects that chronicled the rich ironies of street life in New York City. Flo Fox’s work is in the permanent collection of Brooklyn Museum and the Smithsonian. Flo Fox has also been interviewed on several talks shows including Regis and Kathy Lee and Tom Snyder. During the early 80s she hosted her own show called the Foto Flo Show, interviewing other photographers such as Ruth Orkin and Ralph Gibson on their work and their creative methods. Riley Hooper made a short documentary film, FLO which was featured in The New York Times in 2013. Flo Fox is an advocate for the disabled and has taught photography class for the blind and visually impaired students at the Lighthouse for the Blind. Despite blindness, multiple sclerosis, and lung cancer, photographer Flo Fox continues to shoot the streets of New York City and never goes anywhere without her camera.
Flo Fox is the coolest person, artist, photographer, activist, designer you probably have never heard of. We talk about her early career making costumes for Broadway productions in the 1970's including "A Chorus Line". We talk about her Dicthology Project in which between the 1970's and 1990's she took creative Polaroids (with film Polaroid gave her) of penises all the men who entered her apartment over 23 years. (Vintage Annals will be putting out this book by late September) I want to be clear that neither Flo nor I want anyone to think her life, or this episode, is meant to be Inspiration Porn in any way. Flo would be ok with the porn part as she has always been a sex positive photographer and artist, and even did a Playboy shoot in 1976 that she designed and photographed. Flo has also been an activist and fought for the rights of disabled people for years. Lastly she is one of the funniest, and at times, raunchiest 77 year old jewish females I have ever met, which is also why I enjoy interviewing her for this episode, and why I am working with her now. When Flo is out taking photos with an assistant and when she needs the lens to zoom, she asks her assistant to give it a hard on. Please enjoy.
I want to thank Karen Gottfired to connecting me to Flo when I was looking for folks to interview about Arlene's work.
I want to thank Gigi at 2 by 2 media for committing to support their work at twobytwomedia. They will be
putting out zines and books of Flo's work.
I want to thank Flo herself for working on this with me.
For more info on Flo Fox
https://www.vintageannalsarchive.com/flo-fox-69-project.html
Flo Fox's Youtube Page
VAA Sponsored Flo Fox's 69 Fotos Instagram Page and Website
https://www.instagram.com/flofox69fotos/
www.vintageannalsarchive.com/flo-fox-69-project.html
Two by Two Media Instagram and Website
www.instagram.com/twobytwomedia/
www.twobytwomedia.org/flo-fox/
Songs used
Richie by BJ Snowden
I Never Feel Alone (Instrumental)
There Was a Light (Instrumental)
Vintage Annals Arcvie Website
https://www.vintageannalsarchive.com/
Please support this project at Patreon!
https://www.patreon.com/VintageAnnalsArchive
https://www.instagram.com/vintageannalsarchive/
Interviewed and edited by Richie Wexler
Sponsor
For info on Risk Podcast
Info on Kevin's coaching and such
Ep 4: Sweetheart Roller Skating Rink Photography Project 1972-73 with Bill Yates and Bill Boling
It was such a pleasure to chat with Bill and Bill about this amazing documentary photography project shot in 1972-73. Bill Yates shares his thoughts on this project below. This book and project is hands down my favorite book to own, and favorite images to post on the Instagram page. The images just resonate so deeply with so many people. There is something raw and universally understanding with the honest, kind, and dynamic images shot by Bill Yates over 7 months from 1972-73.
I had just purchased a medium format, twin lens camera and, as usual, I was out riding around looking for something to shoot. I happened upon an old wooden structure built in the 1930’s in the Six Mile Creek area of rural southern Hillsborough County, Tampa, FL. The sign on the building read "Sweetheart Roller Skating." The owner was just driving up. "Mind if I shoot some pics?" I asked. "Sure, but if you want some good ones, come back tonight –- this place will be jumpin'." That weekend in September 1972, I ran eight rolls through the camera. After that I photographed nearly every weekend until late spring of 1973. I was twenty-six years-old - Bill Yates
To Learn more about this project go to these links.
https://www.sweetheartrollerskatingrink.com
https://www.instagram.com/bill_yates_photo/
https://www.instagram.com/wboling
More info on Vintage Annals Archive
Podcast
https://www.vintageannalsarchive.com/vintage-annals-archive-podcast.html
Website
We have a ton of additional content on our website.
https://www.vintageannalsarchive.com/
Please Support
If you'd like to support this project please join our Patreon. We could really use support to keep this going!
Special content, perks, and more!
https://www.patreon.com/VintageAnnalsArchive
https://www.instagram.com/vintageannalsarchive/
Interviewed and edited by Richie Wexler
Sponsor
For info on Risk Podcast
Info on Kevin's coaching and such
All I can say is that I truly understand that Arlene Gottfried was the greatest photographer of here generation. If Robert Frank was the father, and Diane Arbus the mother, then Arlene is the first daughter of photography. I have been working on this since September and plan on releasing two more parts. My plan is to garner interest about a documentary art other form to work on a video documentary project on her life. Her work changed my life! It also took me about eight years to get this project going, so just don't ever quit anything that has meaning for you. We speak with Karen Gottfried (Arlene's sister), Daniel Power (Publisher of her books), Jamel Shabazz (photographer) and Daniel Cooney ( Daniel Cooney Fine Art and show producer)
Our Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/arlenegottfriedlegacyproject/
Others Contacts
https://www.danielcooneyfineart.com
https://www.instagram.com/jamelshabazz
More info on Vintage Annals Archive
Podcast
https://www.vintageannalsarchive.com/vintage-annals-archive-podcast.html
Website
We have a ton of additional content on our website.
https://www.vintageannalsarchive.com/
Please Support
If you'd like to support this project please join our Patreon. We could really use support to keep this going!
Special content, perks, and more!
https://www.patreon.com/VintageAnnalsArchive
https://www.instagram.com/vintageannalsarchive/
Interviewed and edited by Richie Wexler
Sponsor
For info on Risk Podcast
Info on Kevin's coaching and such
At a time when they are trying to erase black history education in this country, I have the honor of sharing a podcast episode of one of the greatest living photographers of the past 100 years, Jamel Shabazz. We will be focusing on his new book (among others things) "Albums" which if you haven’t gotten it, please do. It’s $50 and well worth it. No matter what they do in terms of trying to erase black stories and black history, they’ll never be able to erase the work and important archive of Jamel Shabazz! His book "Albums" is literally a Black History Textbook in a huge sense. This book features selections from over a dozen albums, many previously unseen, and includes his earliest photographs as well as images taken inside Rikers Island, all accompanied by essays that situate Shabazz’s work within the broader history of photography. Last thing I’ll say is that Jamel is honestly one of the most compassionate, spiritual, intelligent, authentic, kind, and passionate human beings I have ever met. Please get this book and all his past books. I want to thank Daniel Power and Sophie Nunnally for helping arrange this interview through Powerhouse Books who had put out Jamel’s books. Please support them if you buy his books, and in general. They put out such amazing and diverse books.
Please also get Leonard Freed’s “Black and White in America 1963-1965” at $28 dollars as a re-issue. Leonard's book and work has ben the main influence of Jamel's work and career.
I also want to thank Karim Brown for being part of this episode. His work was being shown in the African American History museum in Philadelphia where Jamel did a lecture called “Love is The Message” a couple of months ago, and I got to see his amazing work. He is a younger photographer, and as a tribute to Jamel, who mentors and supports so many younger photographers, I wanted to include the amazing work, insight, and work. Karim's work has also been greatly influenced by Jamel, they both work in the same spirit of documenting their communities, and creating a historical archive for future generations to enjoy. Karim is also a teacher and archivist, and we talk with him about that, and his connection to Jamel! Lastly I have to say that getting to talk to Jamel has definitely been one of the highlights of my life, so I offer this as a gift to others to experiece it. Hope you enjoy it!
We start with Karim's (30 min.) then into Jamel's. Please listen to both episodes if you can.
Jamel Shabazz
https://www.instagram.com/jamelshabazz
About Jamel Shabazz
https://aperture.org/editorial/why-jamel-shabazz-is-new-yorks-most-vital-street-photographer
“Jamel Shabazz Albums” Book $49.23 (available everywhere)
https://steidl.de/Books/Albums-0120242856.html
“A Time Before Crack” $39.95 (please buy from the publisher)
https://powerhousebooks.com/books/35128/
“Back in The Days” $39.95 (please buy from the publisher)
https://powerhousebooks.com/books/back-in-the-days/
Website
Karim Brown
Karim Brown is a documentary photographer living and working in North Philadelphia.
Keeping the Black Philadelphia community and its people at the forefront of his mind, Karim uses photography to intimately engage with Black ways of knowing and doing that he has been immersed in his entire life. Using Black Studies as the foundation of his work, Karim’s photography considers how Black folk understand and tell their own stories through the Black gaze.
https://www.instagram.com/photogkarim/
Guitar Beat by Kirk Osamayo is licensed under a Attribution 4.0 International License.
Edited into smaller pieces for this episode
https://freemusicarchive.org/music/kirk-osamayo/orange-season-4/guitar-beat/
Please check out out website
https://www.vintageannalsarchive.com/
We are in need of financial support and share important stories and interviews like this one.
We speak to renown Photographer Meryl Meisler. I don't want to give much away, so here are some cool things people said about Meryl's work
Although I will say Meryl is a hilarious human, and that's a high bar for a person in my book!
I will also say my life is much better with Meryl in it.
Rich Wexler
Vintage Annals Archive
"A clubby by night and a teacher by day, it was not until she retired in 2010 that she started to reopen her extraordinary archives"
" Meryl Meisler captures the moments of intense joy and pure madness"
"Whether they are improvised at home, in party rooms or in clubs, the dance floors are breeding grounds for characters on which she cannot help but aim the lens."
"A joyful and crazy work. "
"From bar mitzvahs and weddings to punk gigs and go-go bars, Meryl Meisler obsessively documented all walks of life in 1970s New York, finding ‘funny’ wherever she went."
"Everything seems unreasonable and possible. And the photographer takes care never to widen the field of vision and “game” too much."
"Driven by impertinence and humour, Meryl captured moments of intense joy and pure craziness"
"Meryl Meisler captures the moments of intense joy and pure madness of the early days of disco and immerses us in a fascinating city and era"
Info about Meryl can be found on her website
I highly recommend getting her books. Not only are they amazing but her first book I bought for like $30 five years ago is now worth $500, and for a good reason!
Get them here before you can't!
https://www.merylmeisler.com/books
Here is our Deep Dive on Meryl's work where you can spend hours reading articles, listening to interviews, and looking at her work.
https://www.vintageannalsarchive.com/episode-8-deep-dive---meryl-meisler.html
*We will be referring to images of her work that can be found at the bottom of her deep dive page. (link above)
More info on Vintage Annals Archive
Podcast
https://www.vintageannalsarchive.com/vintage-annals-archive-podcast.html
Website
We have a ton of additional content on our website.
https://www.vintageannalsarchive.com/
Please Support
If you'd like to support this project please join our Patreon. We could really use support to keep this going!
Special content, perks, and more!
https://www.patreon.com/VintageAnnalsArchive
https://www.instagram.com/vintageannalsarchive/
Interviewed and edited by Richie Wexler
Sponsor
For info on Risk Podcast
Info on Kevin's coaching and such
