"Because it was before mobile phones, they had to arrange to meet one of the group members in the first car of the train along the way."
"Viewed today, Sullivan's video record of his life represents a pre-Internet form of vlogging, while his frequently used technique of turning the camera to face himself clearly anticipates the modern selfie."
"You can watch hundreds more of Sullivan's films on YouTube, including a trip to McDonald's (the most popular video on the channel), several RuPaul videos, a holiday party at Michael Alig & DJ Keoki's apartment, and Keith Haring's NYE party."
Nelson Sullivan was a videographer who documented NYC's arts, music, and LGBTQ+ communities in the 1980s using a personal video style that preceded modern vlogging. His 1987 film captures friends arranging to meet on the subway to Coney Island, a practical necessity before mobile phones existed. Sullivan's frequent technique of turning the camera toward himself anticipated the selfie phenomenon. His extensive video archive, now available on YouTube, includes trips to McDonald's, RuPaul appearances, and footage from notable NYC events like Michael Alig's holiday party and Keith Haring's New Year's Eve celebration. Sullivan died of a presumed heart attack in 1989 at age 41, leaving behind a significant visual record of pre-internet personal documentation.
Read at kottke.org
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