Meryl Meisler’s Vibrant Photos of New York Women Capturing the 70s & 80s Disco Era

Meryl Meisler’s photography is a time capsule bursting with the irrepressible energy of New York City’s 1970s and 80s. Her work, often infused with humor and a sense of joyful abandon, offers a unique and empowering glimpse into the lives of women during this transformative era.

Meisler’s lens captured a spectrum of New York women – disco queens twirling under shimmering lights, punks sporting defiant mohawks, and women embracing the newfound freedoms of the era.  The women in her photographs are unabashedly themselves. Their clothing choices reflect this – from glittery costumes and bold patterns to androgynous and daring styles that blurred traditional gender boundaries.

Whether in glamorous nightclubs or on gritty streets, Meisler’s subjects exude a sense of personal autonomy and ownership of their space. Their poses and gestures tell stories of confidence, defiance, and the joy of living in the moment.

She captures moments of shared laughter, support, and collective celebration. There’s a palpable sense of sisterhood and solidarity in these images – a reminder that the fight for women’s equality and empowerment was one fought together.

Check Out her: Website | Instagram

#1 Ripped Stocking and Garter Dance Trio at GG’s Barnum Room, December 1978

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#2 Stacey Walking Down Playmate’s Stairs with tips in her Stockings 1978

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#3 Meryl Meisler Self-Portrait – Playmate-Hostess

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#4 My favorite Jewish Mother, Sylvia Frances Schulman Meisler reading on Thanksgiving Evening, 1978

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#5 Feminine Floored Hurrah (Potassa de la Fayette), Hurrah, March 1978 #2

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#6 Dallas Performs near-Mirrors – Hurrah Wild-Wild West Party

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#7 Self-Portrait, My Childhood Bedroom Mirror, North Massapequa, February 1976

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#8 Miss Malice, birthday femme, Switch n’ Play, Littlefield, Brooklyn, January 2023

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#9 Love in Bloom G-d Bless America Henry Street Settlement Good Companions Senior Center 1978

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#10 Coli, Playmate Hostess, December 1978

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#11 Two Queens, One Blonde, One Brunette, COYOTE Hookers Masquerade Ball, CopaCabana, February 14, 1977

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#12 Gold Stars Arch (Dallas) Le Clique, June 1978.

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#13 Mom Getting her hair Teased at Besame Beauty Salon North Massapequa, June 1976

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#14 Two Women on Floor Next to Judi Jupiter During The Prom Party. Les Mouches, June 1978

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#15 JJ Holding Head as Hair Flies While Dancing with Judi Jupiter, Studio 54, July 1977

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