In 1983, New York City looked like a free-for-all but it birthed a lot of creative individuals in the process. Photographer, Richard Corman got the chance to shoot Madonna before she was “Madonna.”

Thursday in NYC, Milk Gallery held a photography show of Madonna which featured 50 photos of her before the fame. The images in the exhibit captures an historic period of Madonna being shot 30 years ago in the gritty Lower East Side area. You can see the beautiful singer/dancer interacting with the locals and just embracing the art that was happening around that time.

Corman told Milk, “Everything about the pictures feels modern, from the way she’s dressed to her attitude.” It was a pack house for the opening of the gallery, many fans where excited to see the rare photos. The Madonna NYC83 exhibit will run from November 15 through December 15 at Milk Gallery.