In 1977, photographer Stephen Shames traveled to the Bronx on an assignment for Look magazine. He arrived at a time when the borough was considered one of the most dangerous places in the United States. The streets were filled with the ruins of burnt-out buildings and empty lots. Poverty and violence shaped the daily lives of the children living there. Shames began to document a specific group of boys who navigated this harsh environment every day.
These boys formed tight-knit groups they called “families” or “crews.” They did this because the traditional family structure was often broken by the pressures of the neighborhood. The crew provided protection against rival gangs and the general chaos of the streets. Shames spent over twenty years following these individuals, gaining a level of trust that few outsiders ever achieved. He watched them grow from children into young men while the neighborhood faced the rise of the crack cocaine epidemic.
The photographs Shames took show the raw reality of survival. His images capture the moments of high tension, including street fights, drug deals, and police arrests. Many of the boys he first met ended up in prison or lost their lives to the violence surrounding them. Martin Dones, one of the young men in the group, experienced these dangers firsthand. He became deeply involved in the cycle of drugs and street crime before finding a way out.
Despite the constant presence of danger, the boys also found moments of genuine joy. They played in the spray of fire hydrants during hot summers and found ways to laugh in the middle of the rubble. Shames recorded them falling in love, getting married, and starting their own families. These moments of humanity existed right alongside the brutality of the neighborhood. The boys looked out for one another, sharing meals and space when they had nowhere else to go.
Adults like Shames occasionally stepped in to mentor those who wanted a different life. For Martin Dones, the help of caring adults was the turning point that allowed him to leave the violence behind. The story of the Bronx boys is not just one of despair. It is a detailed account of how young people attempt to build a life when the world around them is falling apart. Even on the meanest streets, these boys proved that companionship and hope are necessary for survival.
