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West Side Piers (Christopher Street)

Artist/Designer: various artists

Project Location: New York, New York

Black and white photo of a man painting a mural on a wall in an abandoned building. He is painting two male and one female torso with black outlines
Figure 1: A man painting a mural at the Canal Street piers, 1983. ( Source | Accessed : December 24, 2021 | Photographer: Peter Hujar )
Black and white photo of a person in robe holding a stuffed teddy bear. Behind her is a photo with two candles burning next to it.
Figure 2: Sylvia Rivera, living on the waterfront, near her altar for Marsha P. Johnson, 1996. ( Source | Accessed : December 24, 2021 | Photographer: Valerie Shaff )
Black and white photograph of the interior of an abandoned building. Graffiti on the wall shows two men engaged in sex. Two men are being intimate behind an overturned barrel in the corner of the room.
Figure 3: Two men in front of a mural, Pier 46, 1980 ( Source | Accessed : December 24, 2021 | Photographer: Leonard Fink )
Black and white photograph of the interior of an abandoned building. The ceiling is falling and the walls peeling. Three men are in the building all in different spots not facing each other.
Figure 4: Pier 48 Interior, 1980 ( Source | Accessed : December 24, 2021 | Photographer: Leonard Fink )

Style/Period(s):
Vernacular

Primary Material(s):
Metal, Concrete, Paint

Function(s):
Social Club

Related Website(s):

Overview of the Westside of Manhattan as gay area | Accessed : March 11, 2022
History of West Side Piers | Accessed : March 11, 2022

Significant Date(s):
1980-1989

Additional Information:
The piers of Manhattan’s West Side helped to cement New York as a mecca for cruising and communing from the early days of the 20th century.

Viewers should treat all images as copyrighted and refer to each image's links for copyright information.