Bid now on this rare original photograph from Henry Chalfant's iconic Subway Graffiti Series — a panoramic print capturing the raw, electric energy of New York City's subway cars as they appeared between 1977 and 1980, signed in pencil by the artist himself. Henry Chalfant (b. 1940) is one of the most important documentarians of urban culture in American history. His lens captured the birth of hip-hop and graffiti art at street level, and his photographs now reside in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and the Carnegie Institute in Pittsburgh.
He co-authored Subway Art — widely considered the definitive text on New York graffiti — and co-produced the landmark 1983 documentary Style Wars, which introduced the world to the culture that would reshape global art and music for decades to come. This print carries an additional layer of distinction: it was personally selected for inclusion in a custom curated collection by celebrated graffiti artist Mare139 in 2011, making it not only a document of a transformative era but a piece chosen by one of its most respected insiders.
Designated as a unique edition, this is a one-of-a-kind work — no other print from this series exists in this form. The elongated, panoramic format mirrors the sweep of a subway car in motion, lending the image an almost cinematic quality that rewards close study. Chalfant's signature in pencil on the reverse confirms its authenticity directly from the artist.
For collectors of photography, street art history, or New York cultural heritage, this is an exceptionally rare opportunity to own a piece of the moment when graffiti transformed from underground rebellion into a global art movement.
Henry Chalfant Subway Graffiti Series 10

THE BDC USES COMMUNITY-BASED DOCUMENTARY PRACTICE AND EDUCATION TO EXPLORE VITAL ISSUES, STIMULATE CRITICAL THOUGHT, AND DRIVE SOCIAL CHANGE.
Learn more100% of the Net Proceeds (as defined in our Terms and FAQs) of the Hammer Price will go to a donor-advised fund (“DAF”) administered by Our Change Foundation, a third-party charitable entity contracted by Charitybuzz, which will then grant the funds, less fees, to The Bronx Documentary Center.