From 1980 onwards, Ron Weideman transformed his nightshift taxi into a rolling portrait gallery, photographing an extraordinary cross-section of New York City life during a pivotal era of cultural transformation. Working in the confined space of his cab, Weideman captured everyone from drag queens to business executives, models to poets. The project began when Weideman, fresh from earning his MFA, needed to pay rent for his West 43rd Street apartment where he still lives today.
An exhibition titled "In Sequence" running running June 26 through August 29, 2025 at NYC's Bruce Silverstein Gallery features Ryan Weideman's remarkable taxi portraits alongside other photographers like Todd Hido, Ed Ruscha, and Francesca Woodman, examining how sequences of images can function like poetry or music in building meaning.
One of Weideman's most significant moments came when poet Allen Ginsberg stepped into his cab in 1990. As documented in the exhibition materials, Ginsberg wrote directly on his taxi receipt: "Backseat of a New York Taxi is a human zoo. Ryan Weideman taxi-dermist has mounted these human species types with humor and boldness and precision."
Previously:
• Why is the posterior hippocampus larger than normal in London taxi drivers?
• Taxi medallion markets collapse across America
