New York, New York

by Ute Krebs, akg-images gmbh As PACA is coming to New York again this year and I for one am already looking forward to attending, I thought I’d write a little homage to the city. New York has and always will be one of the most fascinating cities in the world, full of creative energy and constantly re-inventing itself, never boring. As an avid fan of the series Mad Men it was not difficult to decide on the 1960s, especially as I found a much bigger selection of vintage Manhattan in our archive than I expected!The Sixties seem like a fascinating period of American history to me – the paranoia of the McCarthy era of the 1950s was over, John F. Kennedy was elected President and with him a lot of hope for a new era. Martin Luther King made his famous speech; the Cuba crisis pushed the world to the brink of a new World War and man landed on the moon. The assassination of President Kennedy, his brother and Dr. King shocked the nation and the world – a turbulent decade with events that still resonate today.One of the things I find so fascinating about Mad Men are the rigid social structures of the 1950s which are beginning to change. The status of women in the workplace is changing and it is becoming quite clear that the future is getting younger. There is still quite a lot of unreconstructed machismo in the workplace as well as the home but as the series progresses we see a lot of changes. It almost seems unthinkable today to see smoking in the workplace or anywhere in public and I have never worked anywhere with a well-stocked drinks trolley for that early morning beverage. It is a fascinating glimpse into a world which has (almost) disappeared. I can’t wait for the next series but in the meantime I hope you enjoy this small selection of images from our archive. © akg-images / Walter Limot © akg-images / Jean Dieuzaide © akg-images / Jean Dieuzaide © akg-images / Jean Dieuzaide