Visual Medicine: Photographs of Love + Joy in Prospect Park

Join Prospect Park Alliance and acclaimed photographer Jamel Shabazz for a free outdoor exhibit on the historic tollbooth at Lefferts Historic House. This selection of photographs taken by Shabazz in Prospect Park reminds us to find joy wherever we can. For Shabazz, love is the message. Shabazz has spent over 40 years documenting life in Brooklyn and recently published Prospect Park: Photographs of a Brooklyn Oasis, 1980-2025.
Known for his iconic NYC street photography documenting the city’s African American community, Jamel Shabazz first gained widespread acclaim with his books Back in the Days and A Time Before Crack, renowned for their vivid portrayal of 1980s style and culture. However, long before his fame as a photographer, Shabazz served in the military and as a corrections officer for twenty years. After long days at work, he often sought refuge in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park, describing it as a place to find inner peace—and, since 1980, he has continued capturing its vibrant spirit. This collection features his signature portraits of locals, from Afro-Caribbean percussionists at Drummer’s Grove to multicultural families enjoying moments of quiet reflection.
This exhibit is part of Prospect Park Alliance’s ReImagine Lefferts initiative, which is transforming the museum to explore the legacies of resistance and resilience of the Indigenous people of Lenapehoking, whose unceded ancestral lands the park and house rests upon, and Africans who were enslaved by the Lefferts family.
Learn more about Lefferts Historic House museum.