In 1972, Arlene Gottfried moved to Greenwich Village during a time that was known to some to be “New York’s seismic identity shift” (Figes). Three years before she moved to Greenwich, the Stonewall riots broke out on June 28, 1969. The bar was owned by the mafia, so they paid off members of the police to look the other way at their activities—which included illegally selling alcohol and letting their patrons partake in homosexual activities which were illegal at the time—or at least tip them off before a raid. During a raid that the police did not tip them off to, patrons and neighbors became agitated at the treatment of their peers and began to riot, which lasted for five days (History.com Editors, “Stonewall Riots”). A year later, the first gay pride parade in the history of the U.S. occurred on the anniversary of the raid of the Stonewall Inn and the riots that occurred afterward (CBS New York). In her time living in Greenwich, Gottfried took many photos of the “pre-gentrified and pre-financialised New York”. She socialized with theater people, addicts, rebels, and “Stonewall activists like Marsha P Johnson.” In order to make a living she worked for an advertising agency, which found a way to provide works for The New York Times Magazine, LIFE, and Newsweek (Figes).

CBS New York. “Biggest New York Events of the 1970s.” Www.cbsnews.com, 15 Jan. 2015, www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/biggest-new-york-events-of-the-1970s/. Accessed 1 Apr. 2024.

Figes, Lydia. “Arlene Gottfried, the Street Photographer Who Captured the Soul of 1980s New York.” ELEPHANT, 16 Feb. 2022, elephant.art/arlene-gottfried-the-street-photographer-who-captured-the-soul-of-1980s-new-york/. Accessed 17 Mar. 2024.

Gottfried, Arlene. “Marsha P. Johnson in Blonde Wig.” Daniel Cooney Fine Art, 1983, www.danielcooneyfineart.com/artists/arlene-gottfried/series/sometimes-overwhelming?view=slider. Accessed 31 Mar. 2024.