You never knew who’d be hanging out at Allen Ginsberg’s apartment at 385 East 12th Street, or who might turn up while you were there. On May 11, 1986 I was scheduled to take a portrait of Allen with my large camera and after the pictures had been taken and we were just sitting around, Gregory Corso walked in. He asked about the camera and thought he’d like to be photographed as well. 

It seemed to make sense. Gregory was dressed nicely, was in good spirits and it also offered an opportunity to get a picture of Allen and Gregory together. This was not an unusual paring, there were probably hundreds of photographs of them together, but there weren’t very many of them posed in front of the kitchen sink that was on one wall of Allen’s living room. It all worked out well and a few weeks later I gave copies of the result to Allen, as well as two copies of the portraits of Gregory; one for him and one for Gregory, the next time he came by. Gregory was an illusive fellow in those days and I had no idea when I’d ever see him.

A few days later the telephone rang and it was Gregory. He had the picture, liked it a lot and asked if he could have another. He seemed ready to jump right through the telephone line. He said he wanted the picture for his daughter. I replied I’d be happy to give him one but I’d have to make it and he should come by in a couple of days, which he did. I gave him the picture, he signed some of his books, we talked about his daughter who lived out west somewhere and how he knew she was going to love the picture and then he left and vanished into wherever Gregory went in those days.

A week or so later I was walking down 6th Avenue and came to 8th Street and passed by the ranks of booksellers who lined the sidewalk outside what used to be B. Dalton Bookstore. I’m a sucker for a book on the sidewalk and then I saw something out of place. It was a bunch of Xerox copies of my portrait of Gregory. They were pretty good copies, all were signed by Gregory and each was for sale for $25. It hadn’t taken him long to get the pictures out on the street. It’s the only time I ever saw one of mine for sale from a sidewalk vendor.
I really like this portrait; Gregory looks very vital and full of mischief. He declined over the next fifteen years but he still looks good in this photograph, which hangs in my studio underneath Albert Einstein and between Eugene Atget and Jane Heap.

Gregory Corso, at Allen Ginsberg's Apartment, 385 East 12th Street, New York City, May 11, 1985