Yesterday we heard the sad news that American photographer Roy DeCarava had passed away at the age of 89. One of the pioneers of a new kind of American street photography, especially between the late-40s and late-60s, DeCarava focused his lens on the desolation of the neighborhood where was spent most of his life: Harlem. Rather than the jarring documentary photography of many contemporaries, DeCarava sought more balanced, quizzical and contemplative images from daily life. To better understand his work, we’ve curated a selection of 25 Haunting Roy DeCarava Photographs.

Graduation (1949)

“Gittel” (1950)

“Sun and Shade” (1952)

“Man Coming Up Subway Stairs” (1952)

“Couples” (1960)

“Dancers” (1956)

“Window and Stove” (1951)

“Pepsi” (1954)

“Man in Window” (1982)

We weren’t able to round up titles and dates for many of these photographs, so if you happen to know any, or know of somewhere we might find out, please let us know in the comments.