We remember George as the loveable photographer whose GinoFors art gallery was on West Main Street across from the Glens Fall National Bank. But look deeper and you’ll find there was so much more to the man.
George was born in South Bronx on May 4, 1941. His father, Hank, was deported from the United States to Finland after Forss’ birth; his mother, Norma, practiced vernacular photography. He suffered from polio as a child. He was removed from his mother’s custody and consequently spent five years in an orphanage.
He became a self-taught photographer after being introduced to photography at the 1964 World’s Fair
Starting in 1973, George had been taking photographs on the streets of NYC and selling $5 prints outside the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The price was easy; finding George was something else again. The line formed somewhere in Manhattan. He was a street vendor, one of about 7,500 who pay New York City $25 a year for a license to sell their wares on the sidewalk.
Because of congestion, some busy corners are forbidden territory. There are other restrictions. “You’re not supposed to stay in one place more than two hours,” he said, adding that the police grow unhappy if the same vendor appears at the same locale too regularly.
In 1980 Life Magazine photographer David Duncan “discovered” George outside Grand Central Terminal.
Time Magazine did an article on George in 1981. BBC did a documentary in 1982. His first major book was published in 1984.
Near the end of the 1980s George moved to Cambridge. Later, his brother Micky came to live with him.
George was a master of using filters turning his photos into works of art. This 1980s photo of the QE2 ocean liner passing in front of the World Trade Center was one of his most popular images, for which he raised the price … to $6 for an 11×14.
George used his GinoFors Gallery to display works by local artists. His hours were “variable” but you always knew that once you walked in you were going to slump into his sofa and spend an hour or more as you listened to his stories.
I knew George before I knew he was a world-renowned photographer. To me, he was just another “Cambridge Character” … who just happened to have a BBC documentary of his early years.