How the Old Men of Miami Beach's Jewish Community Partyed in the Early '80s

How the Old Men of Miami Beach's Jewish Community Partyed in the Early '80s

Categories: Culture | North America | Photo project

From 1977 to 1986, Gary Monroe photographed the daily lives of retired Jewish residents of Miami's South Beach neighborhood. Gary's images take us into the daily routines of their daily activities, revealing a unique and, sadly, gradually vanished community culture.

How the Old Men of Miami Beach's Jewish Community Partyed in the Early '80s

In 1977, Miami Beach native photographer Gary Monroe began this photo project in South Beach. Far from the glamorous beach community of today, the area was then home to a largely Jewish retiree population enjoying the sun, sand, and cheap rent. The photographs in this series capture candid moments of community life, daily activities, and social gatherings. Monroe’s keen eye and compassionate gaze transform the mundane moments of people walking down the street into reflections on a vanished way of life.

How the Old Men of Miami Beach's Jewish Community Partyed in the Early '80s

With a Leica camera in hand, Gary Monroe spent 10 years photographing life in South Beach.

How the Old Men of Miami Beach's Jewish Community Partyed in the Early '80s

Monroe's photographs seem to transport us back to that time, telling about the life of the Jewish community, many of whose members experienced the Holocaust and Jewish pogroms in the Russian Empire.

How the Old Men of Miami Beach's Jewish Community Partyed in the Early '80s

Monroe is originally from this part of Miami Beach, and he would usually take the pictures while returning home from graduate school.

How the Old Men of Miami Beach's Jewish Community Partyed in the Early '80s

How the Old Men of Miami Beach's Jewish Community Partyed in the Early '80s

How the Old Men of Miami Beach's Jewish Community Partyed in the Early '80s

How the Old Men of Miami Beach's Jewish Community Partyed in the Early '80s

How the Old Men of Miami Beach's Jewish Community Partyed in the Early '80s

How the Old Men of Miami Beach's Jewish Community Partyed in the Early '80s

How the Old Men of Miami Beach's Jewish Community Partyed in the Early '80s

Monroe says South Beach today can be described as a place where "people party until the early hours, drink a lot of alcohol from huge glasses and are constantly looking for a parking space."

How the Old Men of Miami Beach's Jewish Community Partyed in the Early '80s

Monroe admits that she has loved this photo dearly for years. By 1987, the dense fabric of the South Beach Jewish community had become frayed, unrecognizable. Within a few years, it had disappeared, as if it had never existed.

How the Old Men of Miami Beach's Jewish Community Partyed in the Early '80s

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