A decade and a half after the 1968 riots parts of the Nation’s Capital resembled a war zone. Drugs, crime, and urban decay plagued many neighborhoods. Meanwhile blocks away from where the politicians and tourists inhabited parts of Washington, DC became a ghost town after six p.m. For most of the residents, however the city that they lived in might as well have been miles from the seat of political power and grand marble cultural edifices. These photographs taken during the 1980’s document the lives and neighborhoods of the citizens of the District of Columbia before gentrification in the 2000’s changed the fabric of what was once known as “Chocolate City”. 

On the streets, everybody was in their own little world--hustling. The best time to photograph was on a Sunday morning, when as the sun starts coming out all the junkies and street life were going down for the count. Michael Horsley photographed with borrowed cameras, using out-of-date and sometimes stolen film, which were often developed in bathroom sinks at night. He tried to look inconspicuous. He bought work clothes and construction boots at Sunny’s Surplus downtown, and carried his camera in an old canvas army map case. He had to be careful to protect himself from the elements and the discarded vodka bottles, used condoms, and syringes that littered the alleys and abandoned buildings

Growing up in upper northwest Washington, during the heyday of DC’s punk rock music scene in the 1980’s, Michael Horsley didn’t want to photograph his friend’s bands and music scene. Instead he took his camera out in the streets of Washington and documented what he saw. These photos are a rare glimpse into a gritty urban landscape recuperating from the riots and reeling from crack cocaine. His work has appeared in numerous publications, and documentary films.