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New York

Black and white portrait of young Black man in hooded jacket against brick wall, looking to the side with earbuds in.

Unseen portraits of high school teenagers in ’70s New York

White Plains — While teaching photography in a school for students who had encountered trouble in the education system, Larry Racioppo took portraits of them as part of his classes. Now, in an exclusive Huck first look, he revisits his recently rediscovered archive.

  • Culture
  • Miss Rosen
Man in black t-shirt sitting in art studio with colourful abstract paintings and mixed media works on walls behind him.
© Stanley Lumax

Lee Quiñones: “We need privacy again”

Outside Is America — For Huck’s final newsletter interview of 2025, the New York graffiti legend reflects on arts from the fringes, his city’s crossroads moment, and the importance of community in a digital age.

  • Culture
  • Isaac Muk
Black and white image showing person sitting on concrete pier with city skyline and bridge in background across water.
© Martha Cooper

I Hear Music in the Streets: How New York emerged as a global beacon of culture

From subways to the sky — Seeing the emergence of disco, hip-hop and much more, the city’s streets, rooftops and blocks were incubators of experimentation and parties in the ’70s and ’80s. A new book brings together the work of over 50 photographers who captured its grassroots, underground heyday.

  • Music
  • Miss Rosen
Vintage sepia photograph showing ornate funeral parlour with open casket surrounded by numerous floral arrangements and palm fronds.
© James Van Der Zee Archive / The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Sombre, tender photos of final goodbyes during the Harlem Renaissance

Harlem Book of The Dead — As one of the very few Black photographers operating in the 20th century, James Van Der Zee’s sepia-tinged archive remains a crucial documentation of New York’s African American history. Now, one of his classic books, capturing funeral culture, is back in print.

  • Culture
  • Miss Rosen
Performers in colourful traditional costumes under bright green and red stage lighting in an indoor venue with exposed ceiling beams.

The rave exploring New York and New Jersey’s hidden crevices

Nocturnal Creatures Society — Founded in the wake of the pandemic, the underground party uses the Tri-state Area’s dense urban forest as a playground for its community. We spoke to photographer Matteo Cassina, who has been documenting it since its early editions.

  • Huck 82: The Music Issue
  • Josh Jones
Man in yellow cap kisses pregnant woman in leopard print dress surrounded by flowers, fruit and vegetables on dark red background.

Naima Green’s intimate, imagined self-portrait of motherhood

Instead, I spin fantasies — After losing her Aunt Dot in 2023, the artist invested in a prosthetic pregnancy belly as a means of experimenting with the look and feel of carrying a child. Her new exhibition dives into her photographic explorations.

  • Culture
  • Miss Rosen
Man behind cluttered shop counter with merchandise displays, shelving units, and red return policy banner overhead.

An inside look at New York City’s best independent record stores

Vinyl NYC — A new book from James T. & Karla L. Murray and Hattie Lindert explores the frontages, interiors and people of shops located across the five boroughs, while archiving their existences.

  • Music
  • Isaac Muk
Person in colourful tie-dye outfit with white feathered wings holds red tulle on busy street with brick buildings and pedestrians.

New York Fashion Week’s true soul lives in the streets

The people’s runway — For a week, the city floods with celebrities, influencers and glitzy afterparties, but year-round real self-expression takes place everywhere. Tom ‘TBow’ Bowden took his camera to NYC’s biggest catwalk.

  • Culture
  • Isaac Muk
Breakdancer performing freeze move on cardboard mat surrounded by crowd of spectators in park setting with trees in background.
© Cathy Campbell

Classic ’80s NYC hip-hop film Wild Style is being remastered

Bronx breaks — Created by Charlie Ahearn, the part-documentary, part-fiction movie captured the genre’s early style and music, as well as its intertwined relationship with breakdance and graffiti culture.

  • Culture
  • Isaac Muk
Woman with long dark hair in black dress and coral kimono standing before vibrant mural with orange dragons, pink shapes, and colourful abstract forms.
© Lady Pink

Meet Lady Pink, the ‘First Lady’ of graffiti

Miss Subway NYC — As a leading writer and artist in a man’s world, Sandra Fabara has long been a trailblazer for girls in underground art. Now, her new show touches on her legacy, while looking to the future.

  • Culture
  • Isaac Muk

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