On the Bowery: Museum Object and Cultural History
On the Bowery: Date: 1956. Directed by: Lionel Rogosin, American, 1924 - 2000. Subject of: Ray Salyer, American, 1916 - 1963.
The object in the museum catalogue
A docufiction film with the title On the Bowery. It consists of two (2) reels of 16mm black-and-white acetate film with optical sound.
The film chronicles the lives of three men living in New York City's Bowery neighborhood over a three-day period. When Ray (Ray Salyer), a railroad worker from New Jersey, walks into Confidence Bar and Grill, he meets and is befriended by Gorman (Gorman Hendricks), one of the neighborhood's veteran alcoholics who frequently reminisces about previous times. Later, Gorman convinces Ray to sell some of his personal belongings for money but, unbeknownst to Ray, Gorman also steals some of Ray’s belongings from the suitcase.
Materials, dates and provenance
- Date: 1956
- Directed by: Lionel Rogosin, American, 1924 - 2000
- Subject of: Ray Salyer, American, 1916 - 1963
- Subject of: Goramn Hendricks, American, 1894 - 1956
- Subject of: Frank Matthews, American, 1899 - 1956
- Owned by: D.C. Public Library, American, founded 1896
- Type: sound films
- Type: black-and-white films (visual works)
- Type: 16mm (photographic film size)
- Medium: acetate film
- Dimensions: Duration (Reel 1): 33 Minutes
- Dimensions: Length (Film): 1200 Feet
- Dimensions: Duration (Reel 2): 30 Minutes
- Dimensions: Length (Film): 1100 Feet
- Place used: Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
- Place filmed: Bowery, New York City, New York County, New York, United States, North and Central America
- Topic: African American
- Topic: Communities
- Topic: Film
- Topic: Poverty
- Topic: Urban life
- Object number: 2017.55.81.1ab
- Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Transferred from the DC Public Library
- Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture
Sources and reuse
Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: Restrictions likely apply. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
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