Where is Mickey? documents the impact of the pandemic on a population in the center of New York City: the costumed performers who pose for photographs with tourists.
"Covid-19 has devastated the economy of Times Square. Broadway was shut down, empty hotels, restaurants and offices are shuttered. Those trying to cater to tourists often outnumber the actual tourists. In a way, it is Times Square in its most stripped-down form: The lights and billboards are still there, and so are the workers who keep everything running. What’s missing is everyone else". By Emily Stewart Vox
This report is supported by an Eyewitness Photojournalism grant by the Pulitzer Center and Diversify Photo.
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Street performers wait for tourists in an empty Times Square. January 10, 2021.
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Mannequins on display in the window in Madame Tussauds New York wax museum, a tourist attraction that features wax figures of entertainment icons located on 42nd Street in Times Square. October 14 ,2020 in New York.
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Street performer in a Transformer costume waits for tourist in an empty Times Square. October 31, 2020
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People gather in Times Square to celebrate election of Joe Biden.The rare occasions when crowds gather in Times Square during the Covid-19 pandemic is for a demonstrations for political and social causes such as Black Lives Matter, the election of Joe Biden and others.
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Street performers The Naked Cowboy Robert Burck, and other in a Batman costume are waiting for tourist in an empty Times Square. January 10, 2021
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Madame Tussauds New York wax museum, a tourist attraction that features wax figures of entertainment icons located on 42nd Street in Times Square looks empty without tourist due to Covid-19. October 14 ,2020 in New York.
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A street performance posing as a sculpture in the empty streets of Times Square on Octubre 31, 2020 in New York City.
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General view of Times Square during the Covid-19 pandemic on Octubre 31 ,2020 in New York. NYC USA
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Reflection of a commercial showcase in Times Square during covid-19 times on November 25, 2020 in New York City. NY USA
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General view of Times Square during the Covid-19 pandemic on October 31, 2020 in New York.
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Street performers Jose and Nadia [last name withheld by request of subjects] at work in Times Square. November 3 2020.
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Street performers Jose and Nadia [last name withheld by request of subjects] at work in Times Square posing with a family from the Queens, NY. The few visitors who appear in Times Square during the pandemic tend to be New Yorkers. November 3 2020.
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Jose and Nadia [last name withheld by request of subjects] street performers who have worked in Times Square for years pose with their costumes at their home in Union City, New Jersey. They say the lack of tourism and a high number of homeless people in Times Square during the Covid-19 pandemic have made their job more difficult. November 3 2020.
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The daughter of Mexican immigrants Jose and Nadia [last name withheld by request of subjects] seen at their home in Union City, NJ. The family faces faces economic stress due to the fact that the lack of tourism in Times Square due to the Covid-19 pandemic makes it more difficult to make a living. November 3 2020.
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General view of Times Square during the Covid-19 pandemic on October 13 ,2020.
Street performers wait for tourists in an empty Times Square. January 10, 2021.
Mannequins on display in the window in Madame Tussauds New York wax museum, a tourist attraction that features wax figures of entertainment icons located on 42nd Street in Times Square. October 14 ,2020 in New York.
Street performer in a Transformer costume waits for tourist in an empty Times Square. October 31, 2020
People gather in Times Square to celebrate election of Joe Biden.The rare occasions when crowds gather in Times Square during the Covid-19 pandemic is for a demonstrations for political and social causes such as Black Lives Matter, the election of Joe Biden and others.
Street performers The Naked Cowboy Robert Burck, and other in a Batman costume are waiting for tourist in an empty Times Square. January 10, 2021
Madame Tussauds New York wax museum, a tourist attraction that features wax figures of entertainment icons located on 42nd Street in Times Square looks empty without tourist due to Covid-19. October 14 ,2020 in New York.
A street performance posing as a sculpture in the empty streets of Times Square on Octubre 31, 2020 in New York City.
General view of Times Square during the Covid-19 pandemic on Octubre 31 ,2020 in New York. NYC USA
Reflection of a commercial showcase in Times Square during covid-19 times on November 25, 2020 in New York City. NY USA
General view of Times Square during the Covid-19 pandemic on October 31, 2020 in New York.
Street performers Jose and Nadia [last name withheld by request of subjects] at work in Times Square. November 3 2020.
Street performers Jose and Nadia [last name withheld by request of subjects] at work in Times Square posing with a family from the Queens, NY. The few visitors who appear in Times Square during the pandemic tend to be New Yorkers. November 3 2020.
Jose and Nadia [last name withheld by request of subjects] street performers who have worked in Times Square for years pose with their costumes at their home in Union City, New Jersey. They say the lack of tourism and a high number of homeless people in Times Square during the Covid-19 pandemic have made their job more difficult. November 3 2020.
The daughter of Mexican immigrants Jose and Nadia [last name withheld by request of subjects] seen at their home in Union City, NJ. The family faces faces economic stress due to the fact that the lack of tourism in Times Square due to the Covid-19 pandemic makes it more difficult to make a living. November 3 2020.
General view of Times Square during the Covid-19 pandemic on October 13 ,2020.
Joana Toro
Joana Toro is a Colombian documentary photographer. working on immigration, Identity and social issues.