Charlie: A Photo Essay
Copyright 1998 Neil Garcia


Living in New York City for most of my life, I've regularly seen both children and adults panhandling on the subway, sleeping in cardboard boxes, and foraging through trash bins in search of other people's half-eaten leftovers. Never having been homeless, the notion of not having a warm, secure dwelling with electricity, running water and the other amenities overwhelms me.

It has always been my interest to better understand how the homeless live. Issues, like how they keep warm, find food, deal with illness, protect themselves are very important to me.

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It was a clear autumn day on the grounds of Battery Park where I met him. He was a large man, appearing to be in his mid-forties, dressed in layers of well-worn clothes and stooped over black, plastic trash bags. As I cautiously approached, he looked up from his rummaging and fixed me with a blank, emotionless gaze. From about ten feet away, I asked if I might photograph him. He stared for a few moments and then returned to his work.

"Why?", he demanded. I tried to explain that I was interested in his mode of existence, his activities, acquaintances, surroundings.... He thought this over as he worked, then straightened up and fixed me with that stare again. "Yeah, it'd be okay", he finally said. I sighed in relief.

With my camera in hand, I stepped gingerly over and around a great many plastic and paper bags, cardboard boxes, bundles of newspapers, piles of clothing and realized I had entered his domain.

He continued his work as I photographed, rearranging boxes and bags and articles of clothing, while mumbling to himself. Occasionally he would remain silent and motionless, as if he were meditating, or perhaps, pondering his next move.

I asked him where he was from originally. He responded, "I'm from Rochester, New York. I have been living in this park for three years." I asked other questions such as, "Did he have any relatives?", "How had he become homeless?" and "Had he ever been fearful for his life?" His responses were vague and unclear. Chatting was clearly not his main interest -- at least, not with me. He seemed at peace in his silence and, although he was twice my size, I felt safe in his presence.

Exposed as he was to the harsh elements of Battery Park, he was not without friends. As in a scene from the Alfred Hitchcock thriller, "The Birds," hundreds of pigeons swarmed around him, in the air and on the ground, eager for some of his bread and bagels which they pecked from his hands. What was his was theirs. He was like their provider. He drank some coffee and fed himself the leftovers only after the birds had eaten.

After four hours I decided to leave. Not only was I tired and freezing, but I felt I'd overstayed my welcome. The park is public, but he truly deserved his privacy.

I handed him some money, which he initially refused, apparently surprised by the gesture. I pressed it on him in gratitude for his time and patience. He took it with thanks. Only then did he tell me his name was Charlie and he smiled as we said our goodbyes.

All Photographs © copyright 1998 Neil Garcia

I left thinking whether we would ever meet again. While traveling back to my apartment, it dawned on me that although I had a dwelling with all the comforts in it, I was not as independant and as free as Charlie was. Charlie's needs, while minimum, were to his satisfaction.

I wonder where Charlie is right now...

-- -- --
Neil Garcia's creative skill set includes Desktop Publishing, Documentary Photography, Graphic Design for Print and Web and is a Prepress Specialist.

You are invited to explore his online portfolio, where you will have the opportunity to view his corporate and creative productions. The website address is: http://www.neilgarcia.com. Mr. Garcia can be reached at: contact@neilgarcia.com

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Four Photographs
by Mark Enssin

A Collection of Paintings
by Robert Dornberg

Portraits
by Kurt Novak

Pencil Drawings
by John Parras

Charlie: A Photo Essay
by Neil Garcia

Girl - A Series of Photographs
by Alaina Burri-Stone

Various Images
by Hieronymus Schofferman

Irish Boys
by James Hauser

Mixed Media Paintings
by Thibaut Dancette