One weekend in 1974, photographer Daniel Sorine took a walk over to Manhattan’s Central Park to snap some pictures. At the time, the area was what Sorine described as a “photographer’s paradise,” because of all the live performers who’d be there showcasing their talents.
“I was a young photographer, short of funds, and not able to afford a studio or adventurous treks around the globe in search of the perfect image,” Sorine told PetaPixel in 2014. “Therefore, the streets of New York City became my studio as well as the studio for many other aspiring photographers.”
On this particular occasion, Sorine was drawn to a couple of mimes he’d stumbled upon in the park. What stood out to Sorine was that the pair had “an unusual amount of intensity, personality and physical fluidity.” When Sorine approached them with his Pentax Spotomatic camera, they graciously allowed him to photograph them in action.
You can check out a few of the shots Sorine got of the men in the video below.
50 Years Ago, Robin Williams Was Just an Unknown Mime in Central Park
If those images made you think that the guy on the right looks an awful lot like Robin Williams, that’s because it is, in fact, the late comedian posing for them alongside his friend and future author Todd Oppenheimer. You know who didn’t have that thought back then, though? The photographer.
As a matter of fact, Sorine had those pictures collecting dust in a suitcase for 35 years until he finally realized who it was that he’d caught on film decades earlier.
To add some context, Williams was completely unknown at that point. He wouldn’t start doing stand-up until 1976, and didn’t land his breakout role on Mork & Mindy for another year after that. Given the circumstances, it’s not surprising that Sorine took so long to figure it out. Looking back on the photos all those years later, Sorine said that he felt as though he’d captured “a wonderful moment in history.”
The post The Central Park Photos of Robin Williams That Went Unrecognized for Decades appeared first on VICE.
