Photography and its dance of light and shadow have been a part of my life ever since my grandfather taught me to take pictures when I was nine. The hours I spent in my attic darkroom as a teenager were my anchor and refuge during the tumultuous 1960’s, when war raged in Vietnam and in our inner cities, and my parents fought at home.

I grew up in Clifton, NJ – then referred to as the “lily white city” – surrounded by diverse communities like Paterson, Montclair, and Passaic. After spending the first half of 1974 studying in Vienna and traveling across Europe, I moved to Boston and enrolled in Imageworks Film and Photography School and  Boston College. That summer, I stumbled onto Russ’s Kitchenette Diner in a gritty industrial neighborhood of East Cambridge. It was 1974 on the crumbling sidewalk and 1947 inside the diner where the smells of coffee, butter, bacon and cigarettes permeated the air. Laughter and the sound of Big Band Music were the soundtrack that drew me inside. The place was always a beehive of activity; Russ the owner, Charlie, the cook, and Geri the waitress knew and ribbed the blue collar workers that populated the cramped space six days a week. Years later, I recognized “Cheers” as an updated version of Russ’s, one that served alcohol instead of bacon, eggs, and home fries. 

The diner’s physical space, its light, and the clientele captivated me. I spent three years documenting life at the diner and quickly learned to respect its hard-working denizens. Initially, people were suspicious of the long-haired hippie behind the camera but over time they became comfortable with my presence. I sensed that I was witnessing something special, a place and time that would soon cease to exist – I just didn’t realize how quickly. I moved back to New York in 1977 to pursue my dream of working in film. 

The following year in 1978, Russ lost his lease and Russ’s Kitchenette Diner closed for good. 

My career arc has taken me to unexpected places. Instead of becoming a filmmaker, I co-founded a sports marketing startup at age 23. Five years later, I took a job in advertising. Three years later I left the corporate world and became an executive coach –  a career I continue to enjoy.

My collection of hundreds of Diner photos moved with me six different times and I had given them up for lost decades ago. In 2023, I rediscovered them in a large unmarked box in my basement. It is my profound pleasure to introduce you to the men and women of Russ’s Kitchenette Diner.

Andy Satter and his wife, the playwright and book editor Nan Gatewood Satter, live in New Paltz, NY since 1998.