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Photojournalist Jean-Pierre Laffont Documented New York’s Decay

By Drooid · Oct 1, 2026, 3:00 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Jean-Pierre Laffont became Gamma Agency’s first foreign correspondent in 1969, representing the Paris-based photo service abroad.
Jean-Pierre Laffont arrived in New York in 1964 and began documenting the city’s decay.
He partnered with the sanitation department to photograph work in the Bronx and other alleys.
He described New York as broken, dirty, bankrupt, with daily garbage, strikes and a failing subway.

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Story summary

Jean-Pierre Laffont became Gamma Agency’s first foreign correspondent in 1969, representing the Paris-based photo service abroad.
Jean-Pierre Laffont arrived in New York in 1964 and began documenting the city’s decay.
He partnered with the sanitation department to photograph work in the Bronx and other alleys.
He described New York as broken, dirty, bankrupt, with daily garbage, strikes and a failing subway.