CORY REYNOLDS | DATE 8/11/2014

Ron Galella: New York

"In his nocturnal hunts, paparazzi Ron Galella captured New York as no one else had—from the melding of every strata of society into the disco demimonde on the same dance floor to the go-go 80s. His subjects were celebrities, but by eschewing the PR step-and-repeat photo-ops he made them real people, and not just the unattainable perfection of the silver screen—oftentimes to their chagrin. His unique shots, certainly of-the-moment, were also of the era. They show a time when celebrities weren't surrounded by stylists, assistants, PRs, and bodyguards. But more importantly, they reflect an ilk of celebrity that is so alien in these days of reality TV stars, the Internet and cell phone cameras." Featured image, of Mick Jagger in front of his apartment in 1981, is reproduced from Ron Galella: New York, which launches this Thursday at the Strand Bookstore, where Galella, 83, will appear in conversation with Anthony Haden-Guest.