As Chippewa continues to reinvent itself, it’s important to remember its history, the good, the bad and ugly. That’s what one photographer has done by compiling a slide show of images on Youtube that date back from 1975. It’s hard to believe that this is the same district that we have today, but if you look past the signs, awnings, etc. you can identify a number of buildings that remain. Despite the seedy nature of the street (back then), the photos show a ton of character (and characters) from that era. The House of Quinn is featured, as is Fisherman’s Wharf, along with a slew of businesses that I never even knew existed, and a few legendary haunts. Check out the details of the images here. From the photographer Charles Hahn:

“My first photographic essay came in 1975 for a high school project. I photographed a visual representation of the Chippewa Street area in Buffalo, NY. This seedy part of the city was an area of undesirables, homeless, and street people. The school, due to the overall nature of the area, and the fact that I was only eighteen years old, first turned down my project proposal. But with some coaxing they finally approved. At the end of the presentation two photos are not of Chippewa Street but, of downtown Main Street viewed from the Marine Midland Building in 1974 and, a view of the Statler from the top of City Hall. The final two photographs were taken by my friend Alex Enos. Hope you enjoy. You can also view this essay at www.cwhahn.com.”
 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GLv4cUAIck