Willy Spiller - Hell On Wheels

First published in 1984, photographer Willy Spillers scenes from New Yorks notoriously crime-ridden subway system retrospectively tell a different story, one of glitz and colour, curiosity and amusement. Today we can look back at his images with a more objective feeling, finding not the sensationalism, danger, and voyeurism proclaimed by the media at the time, but rather the fascination of this young European newcomer to the Big Apple with its people, neon lights, movement, and relentless energy. Captured on Kodachrome slide film, Spillers visions of the citys sordid underground transportation system fall right in line with other pioneers who first documented New York in colour.