Faces of Downtown, 1980s-1990s

People gathering in front yard of Parsons House at night. Photographs from "Faces of Northampton" projected on the house.
Audience enjoying the Faces of Downtown exhibit at Historic Northampton, June 2026.

These 60 portraits by photographer Paul Shoul  commemorate local artists, activists, musicians, politicians, journalists, people on the street, and entrepreneurs who played a role in Northampton’s revitalization in the 1980s and 1990s and have since passed.

Shoul posted these images on social media and invited people who knew the subjects to leave their reminiscences as comments.

In June 2026, Historic Northampton hosted Shoul’s exhibit of Faces of Downtown. The photographs were projected onto the front of Parsons House for an audience of over 200.

Click on the photographs to read reminiscences written about the individuals pictured.

Black-and-white photograph of a middle-aged woman on a bicycle. On the back of the bicycle is a cart holding a box. There is snow on the ground.
Bonnie Ascher
Black-and-white photograph of a bearded man with long hair playing the guitar while another man plays drums in the background.
Bow Bow
Black-and-white photograph of a shirtless man resting his head on his arm and staring off to the side past the camera.
Alan Arenius
Left to right: Maureen, Flo, and Bill Collins. Black-and-white photograph. Bill and Flo stand next to their young adult daughter Maureen in front of smoke shop.
Bill Collins
Black-and-white photograph of a matured man in a button-down shirt playing the saxophone. He also has on a black bat and sunglasses. People are dancing in the background.
David Lenson
Black-and-white photograph of a large window wall of a storefront. On the window it reads: "K & J BETTER YET." A matured woman is sitting infront of the window reading a magazine.
Better Yet
Black-and-white photograph of two young men in their 20s or 30s smiling at the camera. Other people are standing around in the background.
Al Giordano
Black-and-white photograph of a young man sitting on a platform on the water in a chair under an umbrella handing drinks to people swimming in the water.
Buddy Rubbish
Black-and-white photograph of a middle-aged man with curly dark but graying hair speaking or singing into a microphone.
Ed Vadas
Photograph of a matured man smiling at the camera. He is in a striped button down shirt and is holding his hands together resting them on a table. In the background is a tree.
Charles W. DeRose
Black-and-white photograph of a matured man with white hair in a large venue tent smiling at the camera. He is wearing a black and white suit and there are balloons behind him.
Charlie Miller
Photograph of a middle aged man and matured woman on Main Street. The man is smiling at the camera and the woman is embracing him and looking at him.
Abbie Hoffman
Black-and-white photograph of a middle aged man with dark but graying hair and beard. He is sitting at a cluttered table or desk.
Charles R “Zuli” Morin
Photograph of a matured man at the courthouse on Main Street (Northampton). He looks past the camera off to the distance smiling and has a gray-and-white suit on. His hair is gray or white.
Howard Zinn
Photograph of a middle-aged man standing infront of the courthouse on Main Street (Northampton). A crowd is gathered behind him. He has a saddened or worried expression as he looks off into the distance. He is wearing a black and white suit and tie and has white hair.
Daniel Ellsberg
Photograph of man and a middle aged Julia Child. The man is standing across the table from Julia Child and handing her something. She is looking at what he is handing to her. Three men in white chef uniforms can be seen in the background.
Daniel Yacuzzo
Black-and-white photograph of two middle aged men, people are standing around in the background. The man on the left is wearing a white buttoned down shirt and has shoulder length curly hair. He is holding a beer bottle. The man next to him has short hair and a beard, he is wearing a long sleeved t-shirt and has on a name tag. Both men smile at the camera.
Dennis Pearlman
Black-and-white photograph of a group of young musicians. There are seven of them and they appear on a roof. There are 6 men and one woman.
Donal Rooke
Black-and-white photograph of a matured Eric Carle. He has white balding hair and a white beard. He is wearing oval glasses and resting his hand on his hand. Next to him is a cup of paint brushes.
Eric Carle
Photograph of a matured man on Bridge Street. He is wearing a hat and has a long white beard and glasses. He is holding onto a gardening tool.
Ed the Gardner
Black-and-white photograph of a middle aged man smiling at the camera. He has a full dark beard and short dark hair.
Daniel Langer
Black-and-white photograph of three people in a radio recording studio. The equipment can be seen around them. On the left is a woman with short curly dark hair wearing a collared shirt and jeans. Next to her is a man with light hair in a buttoned down shirt and pants. Sitting next to them is a matured woman with white or light hair, wearing a white blouse. They all are smiling at the camera.
Bob Paquette
Black-and-white photograph of a young man leaning to see his reflection in a mirror set up on a canvas stand. The man is on Main Street. He has short dark disheveled hair and sunglasses. He is wearing a dark suit jacket and dark dress paints, and is putting his hands in his pants pockets. He is smirking at himself in the mirror.
Ed Charla
Black-and-white photograph of a woman in the old Country Comforts store at the checkout counter. Her arm is leaning on the counter and she has short wavy brown hair. She is smiling at the camera and wearing a winter sweater.
Eva Treager
Black-and-white photograph of a matured woman with short white hair and round glasses smiling at the camera. She is wearing a Democracy Now t-shirt and holding a large sign that reads: "Does our Lifestyle Depend on WAR?"
Frances Crowe
Black-and-white photograph of a matured man sitting and looking past the camera. He has a breathing tube in his nose and is wearing a white buttoned down shirt and dark dress pants. His white hair is swept away from his face.
Fred Knittle
Photograph of a matured man working with tools in a shed or studio. He has white hair and a white beard and is looking down at what he is doing. He has a dark Boston sweatshirt on.
Gregory Stone
Black-and-white photograph of a middle aged man with crooked sunglasses on. He has short curly brown hair and is wearing a white tank top and jeans. He is sitting on a cushined chair with a lamp next to him.
Harry Rubeck
Black-and-white photograph of a man speaking and putting out his arm in an expressive way. He is middle aged or matured, and has graying hair and glasses. He is clean shaven and wearing a black t-shirt. People can be seen in the blurred background.
Gerald Budgar
Black-and-white photograph of a middle aged man with dark balding hair and a dark mustache. He has on a white apron and appears to be in a kitchen. He smiles at the camera.
Izzy Gesell
Black-and-white photograph of two men sitting at the bar at Jake's Diner. The man closest to the camera is looking behind the counter and smiling. He is holding a coffee. The man next to him is facing toward the counter as well. Framed photographs line the walls and a large sign saying "JAKES" is above a door.
James Stevens
Black-and-white photograph of a middle aged man holding meat toward the camera. He is smiling. He has short dark hair and a dark mustache. He is wearing a black collared shirt with a white apron on it. A menu for "ACME BAR-B-Q" featuring two anthropomorphic pigs in suits and sunglasses.
Jeremy Hewat
Black-and-white photograph of a matured woman smiling at the camera. A wooden wall is behind her. She has white tied back hair and is sitting down with her face turned toward the camera.
Jessie Benoit
Black-and-white portrait photograph of a middle aged man with a scruffy beard and mustache. He has full dark hair and is smirking at the camera.
“High Stepping John”
Black-and-white photograph of a young man sitting in a chair. He has short hair and glasses and is wearing a plaid button down shirt. He is smiling with a cigarette in his mouth.
John Skirk
Black-and-white photograph of a man on stage infront of a microphone. He has his face turned toward the camera and is smiling. He is shirtless with a towel draped around his neck. He has a dark beard and short coiled hair. He has large thin framed glasses on. Another man is in the background holding a saxophone facing in another direction.
Kenny Johnson
Black-and-white photographic portrait of a middle aged woman with dark graying hair. She smiles at the camera.
Leah Kunkel
Black-and-white photograph of a matured man with white hair and beard and glasses. He looks down at a book.
Leonard Baskin
Black-and-white photograph of a middle aged man with white balding hair and a black buttoned up shirt. He is infront of a door with an exit sign.
Leo T Baldwin
Black-and-white photograph of a middle aged woman with dark brown hair with banks. She is wearing glasses and smiling at the man next to her. He is looking down at the table.
Linda Omasta
Black-and-white photograph of a woman sitting on an old elevator looking at her reflection in a large mirror on the wall. The woman is matured with white short hair and a dark floral top.
Margaret Hayes
Black-and-white photograph of a man walking down a side road off of Main Street, Northampton. He is wearing a striped suit and a poka-dotted tie. He is holding something over his shoulder. He has graying white hair and a beard and is wearing glasses. He smiles at the camera.
Richard Pini
Black-and-white photograph of a middle aged man sitting infront of a window. He has balding light brown hair and glasses. He is smirking at the camera and resting his hands on a book. He has on a white buttoned down shirt.
Michael Siissman
Black-and-white photograph of a band on stage. A man sings into a microphone expressively with his lead propped up. A woman next to him is dancing while holding onto a large stick with bells.
Lucy
Photograph of a middle aged man walking a dog looking at his reflection in a mirror placed in a canvas stand. The man has short dark hair, sunglasses, is beared, and is wearing a flannel, dress top, and jeans. He is walking on Main Street in Northampton. He smiles at his reflection.
Peter Alan Davies
Photograph of a matured woman singing into a microphone with her eyes closed. She is wearing a hooded sweatshirt and has on round dangle earrings. Her hair is short and curly, and she has a nose piercing with hoop jewelry.
Evelyn Harris
Black-and-white portrait photograph of a matured woman smiling at the camera. She wears round glasses and a fuzzy black hat. Her graying hair peaks through the hat. The background is blurred.
“Street Lady”
Photograph of two women in downtown Northampton sitting on a bench, storefronts can be seen in the background. The woman closest to the camera is a matured woman in a black tanktop holding a cigarette. Her hair is short and white and she is smiling at the camera. The woman next to her is middle aged and in a light-colored short sleeve top and shorts. Her hair is short and pinned away from her face. She looks neutrally at the camera.
“Street People”
Photograph of a matured woman in the window of a store or restauraunt. She has a book or magazine open in her hands and is looking off to the side at something. She has on sunglasses and her white hair is in an updo.
“Street Lady”
Black-and-white photograph of a matured man smiling at the camera. He appears to be sitting at a bar or pub. He has white hair.
Ron Sarazin
Photograph of a middle aged man playing a small keyboard. He has on a black cap and a gray suit jacket. He is bearded. He looks off to the side. The background is blurred.
Tommy McClung
Photograph of a man in a black suit with a lighter tie holding a guitar as if he is beginning to play. He has a neutral, almost smiling expression on his face and has a beard. On his head is black cowboy hat and the background is light and solid.
Tom Kovar
Photograph of a matured man on Main Street in Northampton. He is holding a small white dog that is sticking out its tongue. The man is wearing a buttoned down shirt and a leather jacket. He has on a baseball cap and is smirking at the camera.
Tommy McCue
Black-and-white photograph of a man standing infront of a storefront "F.W. WOODWORTH CO." He has his arms out in an expressive way and is wearing a Northampton t-shirt and baseball cap.
“Big Tony”