Photographs by Mike Stein of the Prospect Press

Imagine finding a lost trove of 25,000 negatives documenting life in Brooklyn a quarter century ago. They were produced for a newspaper, beloved in the community for its honest and detailed reporting - and reviled by some for the same reasons - that published for five years, and exists only in the memories of long-time Brooklynites.

It was called the Prospect Press, and it lived a short but illustrious life from 1982 to 1987. Although it was only distributed in the communities of Park Slope, Windsor Terrace, Kensington and Sunset Park, its impact reached beyond, as it reported on events and trends that affected Brooklyn as a whole. Mike Stein was the staff photographer for the five years that the newspaper was published, and the editor for much of that time as well.

To be on the front lines of that scene was to witness the transformation of some of Brooklyn’s most venerable communities. It was a time of upheaval, as a wave of gentrification swept over whole neighborhoods, altering them forever.  As the staff photographer of the Prospect Press, Mike Stein was able to connect with many of the ethnic and social groups that had staked a claim to this part of the city and were being pushed out by changes that are still occurring today.

A selection of Mike Stein's photographs will be on display in the Brooklyn Collection from Wednesday June 17th to September 9th. There will be an opening reception in the Brooklyn Collection at 6 p.m. on the 17th, followed by a talk and slide presentation by the photographer.