Here we see two members of a gang in Brooklyn; this image is hardly what comes to mind when one imagines gang members in NYC in 2016. They appear well dressed, well kept and happy; no signs of violence or poverty plagues their image. This photograph reminds us that gangs are’t merely organized criminal groups, but also social circles that have existed in a niche for generations. From looking at these two teenagers our first impression appears to be a warm couple; only the juxtaposition of the photos title gives away their identity.

This photograph shows a busy crowd in New York broken by a small child standing out, looking at the viewer.  Due to the time period of the late 1950’s, the symbolism of this picture is indicative of the Cold War social tensions and the stark ideologies of the world that make little sense to a child lost in a sea of adult values. NYC being a hub of capitalism and information, a symbol of the American way of life, becomes an important setting in the context of the Cold War, especially because it would have  been a major target in the event of a nuclear altercation between the United States and Russia. The child’s gaze appears to be casting a judgment about society on an intuitive level.