The Boy's Town of My Memories Part 2 by CoreyBlack
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Description
This is the full sized original version of the photo fragment glimpsed behind the title card of yesterday's poetry post.
This bench was located, ironically enough, in front of the Town Hall police station at Halsted and Addison Streets in the New Town/Lakeview area of Chicago.
When I made this picture, with my trusty Nikromat SLR on April 30, 1989, obviously gay advertisements were still a bit of a novelty, even in the gay neighborhood.
Comments (11)
Chipka
I almost, vaguely, sort of, remember this bench. I wasn't out and active in the community at the time...well...I was out, but not too active. I'm a young'un you see and I wasn't of legal drinking age when this stuff was all new. But anyway, I remember the Lakeview area when it was cool and less of the shopping mall it's become. I remember the fast-forward cyberpunk-style seediness: and the thought that such areas were where William Gibson got his high-tech-lowlife story ideas from. In fact, when I DID start prowling around Boy's Town, it was usually in the company of fellow writers who were seriously into Diamanda Galas...which does lead me to memories of meandering in front of that very police station (from later days) growling: "Give me sodomy or give me death!" with cute boys with the sorts of haircuts that made them look as if they were wearing electrocuted hedgehogs. I had a crush on that guy John (aren't they all named John?) He had a truly kick-ass pair of combat boots that he always wore with that really cool dog-tag necklace! I often wonder how many times HE had been in the police station behind this bench. He had a habit of scaring straight people, ya know. Needless to say, this image, like the poem preceding it in yesterday's post, really stirs some memories and it makes me wonder where that chubby blond guy is...the trans-person who felt it necessary to channel Diana Ross. She did a decent Diana Ross in terms of hair, but the blond thing just didn't quite match. Anyway...this is a marvelous and evocative shot! More of these are definitely welcome.
beachzz
Some straight people scare quite easily, so I can just see John doing his part to make that happen. Love the foto and I love both of you memories of a time and place!!
micturn
well seen
durleybeachbum
Fascinating to see this sign and also read Chip's ramble.
KateBlack10
Great pic Corey - did you hear that they are tearing down that police station? A real icon of Boystown and it will be no more.
flavia49
fantastic image!!
bmac62
A photo of life and times. Well seen Corey. Also like Chip's musings.
sandra46
super marvelous image!
auntietk
Isn't it amazing, the weight passing time gives to an image? When you shot this bench, it was one thing. Now, more than 20 years later, it has a different feel, a different vibe, and it's a different thing than it was all those years ago. At the time it was daring, and today it's an important piece of history. It's a parallax, that changing view. Good stuff ... thanks for sharing this!
helanker
THat is a fins shot and so well seen. It looks old too.
SaschaC
I've never been to Chicago or Boy's Town, alas. But around 10 years ago I saw my first gay advertisement in a paper. It said: He mets him and she mets her... or something similar. O, I remember these times. Couldn't go to the place though 'cause I was only 14 or 15 then...