The Bronx Is Beautiful – A Campaign In Photographs

Ángel Franco/The New York Times
Ángel Franco/The New York Times

We live with it everyday.

The image that everyone thinks of immediately is always of that Bronx from the past that we try so hard to shake yet the rest of the world continues to try to put this square peg into a round hole.  Winnie Hu 0f the New York Times, writes:

The Bronx has been trying to remove the scorch marks from its name since the 1970s, when arson fires, rampant crime and poverty pushed residents out in droves; made the borough a national symbol of urban decay; and saddled it with the apocalyptic phrase, “the Bronx is burning.” [read the rest at the NYTimes]

Since the old adage, a picture is worth a thousand words, is the very one which has shaped the perception of the Bronx, I decided to launch a campaign if you will to counter the old images.  Let’s face it:

For decades, mainstream media has controlled our narrative which has burned such a negative image of The Bronx into the minds of the rest of the city, region the world and even in our own collective consciousness as a borough.

I am starting this group on Flickr as a photographic journey of the raw beauty of our beautiful borough to the North. Use your judgement in adding photos to this group. I don’t believe in censorship just keep to the theme of the group which is simply: The Bronx Is Beautiful.  Beauty, as we all know, can be found in anything.  Also, I have created the hashtag on instagram as well as on flickr #thebronxisbeautiful so feel free to use it as well as #ilovethebronx so that we can show the world, through our eyes, the beauty that is The Bronx.

To be added to the group, simply go here navigate to http://www.flickr.com/groups/thebronxisbeautiful/ on your browser, whether on your desktop or mobile device.

I look forward to experiencing The Beautiful Bronx through your eyes.

Oh and don’t forget to check out Angel Franco’s (1 of the 6 from Seis Del Surslide show in the New York Times that takes us through those not so glorious days.

 

 

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Ed García Conde

Ed García Conde is a life-long Bronxite who spends his time documenting the people, places, and things that make the borough a special place in the hopes of dispelling the negative stereotypes associated with The Bronx. His writings are often cited by mainstream media and is often consulted for his expertise on the borough's rich history.