Better Late Than Never
by Jeffrey Stockbridge
Its been almost 3 years since I started making pictures along Kensington Avenue in North Philadelphia. The idea to create a blog to track the progress of this project has been a long time in the making. Kensington Blues will be a repository of photographs, audio recordings, journal entries and reflections. Over the next few weeks I will post a chronology of photographs I’ve made since the project began and recount the experiences that happened along the way.
This blog promotes awareness of the desperate among us in a direct personal and compelling format worthy of a PBS documentary. Best of success to you, Jeffrey Stockbridge. Congratulations!
I sincerely hope that no one (cops, pimps, local losers, cheaters) uses this blog for nefarious purposes.
Lots of heart-breaking stories alongside the wonderful photographs..hope we can hear about improvements in some of the subjects life stories and glad you are keeping in touch
The human condition is that which connects us despite the infinite distances between us.
These brutally honest images together with the stark, from the heart personal narratives make for some uniquely compelling work. Continued success with your project- I hope it offers insight to those who view it, and inspiration to those portrayed…
This is amazing. Thank you so much for starting this blog and including pictures, transcripts AND recordings. I am overwhelmed and so thankful for this blog.
I live in Philadelphia and sometimes have to drive in this area…seeing some of the chlldren walking the street’s haunt me and keep me up at night. Some people just never realize just how lucky we really are.
I just came across your blog through a friend’s post on facebook. These are compelling photographs and stories. Please continue to post them. And like Terence Pepper said above, it would be so good to hear follow-ups. I really hope these women (and men) have been able to get some help. They could easily be my sisters, my cousins, my nieces, myself.
I was told about this blog through a few of my friends who are also in recovery like myself . I’ve been clean for quite some time now . I grew up in Kensington but moved out in my teens . When I became a heroin user & wound up homeless , I immediately came right back to Kensington . I know , or knew , almost every girl on this blog and a few have since passed . I too , prostituted everyday , had no place to stay , rarely ate and didn’t have an ounce of self respect or self love . I’m almost 27 years old and I started using when I was 18 . I am just now starting to get my life together . I went to one of the best high schools in the city , I was heading to college on a full academic scholarship . I wanted to be a writer . I hope people who see this also show it to their children in an attempt to show them the harse reality of what can happen when you take drugs or fall into peer pressure or even have minor feelings of inadequacy . If there are any kids/teens reading this : this is what happens . There is no other ending to using drugs besides prison , institutions and/or death . This isn’t pretty . Drug addiction is not something anyone endeavors . Unfortunately is does happen though . All it takes is one bad choice . Please , think before you act . Your life is worth so much more .
This is a fantastic work. These images are terrible, but i can’t help feeling there is allways, somewhere, a littles flame of hope that redemption is possible. Thank you so much for this journey to the streets. To all boyscand girls, if u pass by here, my thoughts are with you.
Came across this website when a friend mentioned it to me. I am an addict, two weeks clean. I am also a photographer, who became addicted while working on the same type of project. These images are strong, and the recordings are powerful. I am a huge fan of this project and I am looking forward to the progression of it
This is so sad, they are young and hopeless. i grew up in philly so i know the city. i was never exposed to this. i knew there were drug problems but not this bad. please continue to do this and maybe, just maybe, some day some one will figure out a cure or some kind of intensive counseling for these issues.
I chased so many of them from behind (and front) my house. Most of these people aren’t even from Kensington. The real story should be the people who actually live here and have to deal with this. No one wants to do that story. All I ever read about are these people, not all the work being done to keep the area clean.
All I see is empty soles as I look into their eyes I pray for these people I’VE seen some of them on the street I don’t belive that they are right in what they are doing but then I don’t look down on them I want them to know that the Lord loves us all I’m just a sinner myself but we all make our choices just wish they would make the choice of our Lord thank you for allowing me to share Blue with you be watt in to he as r more from you.
I feel so sorry for these girls! I left Kensington when this whole prostitution kinda started. I used to live on Ruth street, right behind the ave. we used to chase the girls off our street, we didn’t want our kids near them or the junkies. I’ve done some drugs, in my time, but always promised myself not the monkey! Thank God I never did.
My ancestors all come from Kensington, it was a really nice neighborhood growing up , until I started raising my own kids.
Many of my childhood friends are either dead or might as well be! I now live in north jersey, and look back with such sadness. My two brothers live in port Richmond still, when I used to visit I would drive down the street just to see how things were going . Now I don’t think I would even drive down my old street.
Don’t get me wrong , where I moved is better on the initial viewing, but now my sons are seeing the same thing happen yo their friends, (heroin) is rabid, the choice drug.
What a justice you have done for these victims of the streets, telling their stories. Maybe some of them sit back and read their own stories, maybe they will read between the lines and have enough courage to get the help they need! Hod Bless their souls and the ones you have already taken!
Cathy
This is much appreciated. I lost my mom to these same exact streets. I wish there was something like this fit her to reflect on. Maybe it would have made her a better person.
Thank you for your hard work, this was very informative, but very sad, I feel so bad for them. They don’t want to be there doing what there doing, My Grandson Danny died a few yrs, ago on the streets, It was the worst hurt of my life, I joined a group called AIM, Angels In Motion I helping people, but it’s helping me too, I hope to make a difference& to let them know, Someone cares, thank you Eileen Hartmann