Movie about Ralph shot many years back by Meredith Livengood

 https://archive.org/details/baker_act

Ralph is in need of help with his typing and reading!

 Ralph is still working hard in the city trying to get his buildings back and over turn his cases.

Please Email him at   Ralphbaker11@icloud.com

or call him at 917 306 4836

Interview with Ralph Baker while he was at Rikers Island- 2014

https://archive.org/details/RalphBakerInterviewApril262014

This was part of the radio show on WGXC called the Prison Voices Project

He discusses the taking of his property by a person with the name "Ralph W.(William?) Baker jr"(the property was bought by a person named "Ralph Baker" only),Solitary confinement, and his work to help other prisoners.

Ralph's new address!

Ralph got moved to  Woodbourne Correctional Facility.
to write him:

1. Woodbourne Correctional Facility
   99 Prison Road
   Woodbourne, New York 12788

Name Ralph Baker DIN #14R1962 

Identifying and Location Information
As of 02/13/15

DIN (Department Identification Number)	14R1962
Inmate Name	BAKER, RALPH
Sex	MALE
Date of Birth	11/12/1949
Race / Ethnicity	BLACK
Custody Status	IN CUSTODY
Housing / Releasing Facility	WENDE
Date Received (Original)	07/21/2014
Date Received (Current)	07/21/2014
Admission Type	NEW COMMITMENT
County of Commitment	KINGS
Latest Release Date / Type (Released Inmates Only)

Crimes of Conviction
If all 4 crime fields contain data, there may be additional crimes not shown here. In this case, the crimes shown here are those with the longest sentences.
As of 02/13/15

Crime	Class
OFFER FALSE INST FILING 1ST	E
OFFER FALSE INST FILING 1ST	E
ATT GRAND LARCENY - NOT AUTO 2ND	D
GRAND LARCENY - NOT AUTO 2ND	C

Sentence Terms and Release Dates
Under certain circumstances, an inmate may be released prior to serving his or her minimum term and before the earliest release date shown for the inmate.
As of 02/13/15

Aggregate Minimum Sentence	0004 Years, 00 Months, 00 Days
Aggregate Maximum Sentence	0012 Years, 00 Months, 00 Days
Earliest Release Date	04/15/2016
Earliest Release Type	PAROLE ELIGIBILITY DATE
Parole Hearing Date	12/2015
Parole Hearing Type	INITIAL RELEASE APPEARANCE
Parole Eligibility Date	04/15/2016
Conditional Release Date	04/15/2020
Maximum Expiration Date	04/15/2024
Maximum Expiration Date for Parole Supervision
Post Release Supervision Maximum Expiration Date
Parole Board Discharge Date

letter from Ulster Correctional facility....

Sounds like Ralph is having a hard time there so far. He doesn't seem to have access to reading equipment  and after being able to call me a couple of times, lost that privilege. Not sure he'll be able to get together his appeal... Any letters, if he can read them, would be greatly appreciated.

Ralph got moved to Deptart of Corrections facility upstate as of July 21st

The address and Number:
Ulster Correctional Facility
750 Berme Road
P.O. Box 800
Napanoch, New York 12458-0800
(845) 647-1670 (Ulster County)

Ralph in his requested T-shirt.....

Trial Results... not good.... on to plan c

Ralph was upset about a few things: 

1.Many items went to record with out Ralph being able to look at them.

They switched the Witness List  last minute with out telling Ralph so he was unprepared with  questions.

3. They never compared signatures from the original deed and the 2008 Ralph W. Baker Jr Morgage

for the south Elliot st property.

Blind man who posed as building owner found guilty of fraud

By Josh Saul

February 19, 2014 | 8:17pm

Modal Trigger

Ralph Baker with his attorney. Baker was found guilty of multiple fraud and grand larceny charges Wednesday.

A homeless blind man who craftily stole a Brooklyn apartment building from a younger man with the same name – and even used the building as collateral to bail himself out after he was arrested – was convicted on a raft of fraud and grand larceny charges Wednesday.

The dreadlocked Ralph Baker, 64, who used to work by photographing tourists in Times Square, wore a prison-made t-shirt that read “Not Guilty!” in Brooklyn Supreme Court and kept up his wily attempts at freedom even after the jury found him guilty.

“Can I appeal?” Baker said after the verdict.

Modal Trigger

The real Ralph Baker who owns the Fort Greene apartment building homeless Ralph Baker attempted to take on as his own.

“After your sentence,” his lawyer, Jay Cohen, told him.

“He’s a one-man pain the ass. I’m glad my name isn’t Ralph Baker,” Cohen said later outside court.

Baker – who once used his folding cane to jimmy the lock on a building and break into it – was convicted of illegally transferring the title to a Fort Greene apartment building owned by the clean-cut Ralph Baker, 47, into his name.

“I’m the good Ralph Baker, and he’s the evil Ralph Baker,” the younger Baker told The Post last year when his elder doppelganger was collared for his bail bluff.

The sightless scammer also stole title to a Williamsburg building where he lived for more than a decade, tricked the borough president’s office of topography into changing the address of the Fort Greene building, and even sicced the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office on the real Ralph Baker.

“He’s a very intelligent person who preyed on the system and his victims to try to gain control of a building and request rent from tenants of a building he didn’t own,” said the jury foreman, a 31-year-old advertising director.

Baker may truly believe the buildings are his.

Before his trial, he turned down a plea deal that would have let him out with time served – because he would have had to admit he wasn’t the owner.

“Every human needs a hope. He’s old and blind, and getting the houses is his hope,” said Baker’s pal and German painter Bernd Naber, 65.

“He didn’t want to take the deal because he really believed he owns the buildings.”

Brooklyn prosecutor Richard Farrell quoted the 17th Century poet John Milton – who dictated “Paradise Lost” because he was blind – in his opening argument, reminding jurors that blindness does not prevent a man from extraordinary acts.

Baker could face up to 15 years behind bars on the top count alone when he is sentenced.

Ralph's Juried Trial Has Begun!

Next Date  Tuesday Feb. 11th Supreme Court
320 Jay Street Brooklyn Part 27 19th Floor
9:30 am

Big questions for Ralph's upcoming trial

First, we hope that both the social security number of the original buyer of 120 south Eliot st (our ralph baker)are  placed along side of the ss# of the person who refinanced it in 2006(ralph w. baker jr).
 The signatures, according  to our ralph, are also completely different.

Second, in relationship to 140 metropolitan ave property, it will be important to determine when the Laurence Novelty company  ceased to exist and whether the owner died or went back to Israel, and how the new owners, who oppose Ralph Baker's claim to the property, actually obtained  it.
We think that the Laurence Novelty Company officially disolved  after Ralph took over and before the folks fighting Ralph started making their claim.

we'll see.... November 20th

What's the difference between Ralph Baker and Ralph W. Baker Jr?

here's a screen shot from the ACRIS web site (Automated City Register Information System for NYC). Note in 7/27/2006 the owner of 120 south Eliot st's name change from Ralph Baker to Ralph W. Baker Jr.

This is when Ralph Baker, the blind Photographer realized someone took a 600,000$ mortgage out on his property. When he went to the D.A. with this issue and instead of getting help with this problem, he was thrown in Rikers and the article below came out.
http://therealralphbaker.blogspot.com/2012/10/ralphs-bad-real-estate-press.html

Ralph's next court date- November 20th

Bio from Ralph W. Baker Jr's website-http://www.newyorkshockexchange.com/content/view/21/35/

check out the Fun Facts near the bottom in bold...interesting

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - Ralph W. Baker, Jr.

Educational Background

Mr. Baker received his B.A. in Economics from Hampden-Sydney College ("Hampden-Sydney") in 1989 and his M.B.A. from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia in 1993. Mr. Baker currently serves on the Board of Trustees at Hampden-Sydney.

Business Experience

Mr. Baker has over 10+ years of M&A experience and currently works for the Transaction Advisory Services Group of a leading accounting firm where he performs sell-side and buy-side due diligence for clients looking to divest companies or to make acquisitions.

Mr. Baker was formerly a member of Prudential Financial's Corporate M&A Group where was involved in acquisitions and divestitures across all businesses, including but not limited to, asset management, brokerage, life insurance, property & casualty insurance, and corporate relocation. Prior to Prudential, Mr. Baker worked at GE Capital Corporation where he was involved in insurance M&A and LBO lending.  Ralph has been involved in transactions from cradle to grave, including business development, financial modeling, due diligence, and negotiating sale & purchase agreements.

Mr. Baker has closed transactions throughout the U.S. and abroad, including, the U.K., Switzerland, and South Korea.

Athletic Experience

Tony Shaver and the young stunner winning conference championship. Circa 1989.

Ralph starred in basketball at Hampden-Sydney, a private liberal arts institution in central Virginia. Hampden-Sydney is also (i) the tenth oldest college in the country and (ii) one of only three all-male schools in the country. Ralph earned Division III All-America status in 1989 and was considered to be one of the best guards in the country.

Mr. Baker is currently the third leading scoring in Hampden-Sydney's history with 1,760 career points, and ranks third in career assists and first in steals.

Mr. Baker was an assistant coach for the Stamford Express, a travel basketball team in Stamford, CT with Dave Cooks (Duke MBA) and Warren Spann (Wharton MBA). Mr. Cooks who started the program in 1993 is now the head basketball coach at Milwaukee Marquette High School in Milwaukee, WI. Mr. Spann is currently an executive for Philip Morris in Richmond, VA.

Mr. Baker was the head basketball coach of the Hustlas, champions of the Sophomore Division (10-11 year olds) of the 78th Precinct Youth Council basketball league in March 2006.

A defensive back on his high school football team, Ralph was recruited to play football at Randolph-Macon College ("Macon") outside of Richmond, VA. Ralph eventually attended Hampden-Sydney, Macon's arch rival. Needless to say, Ralph was a favorite target of the Macon fans during Macon/H-SC basketball games. A few Macon defensive linemen even asked Ralph to "step outside" after the game so they could get his autograph, but out of modesty, Ralph always declined.

Fun Facts about Ralph

“Ralph Baker Night” at H-SC. Straight bananas! Circa 1989.

While at Hampden-Sydney Ralph played basketball for Tony Shaver, currently the head basketball coach at the College of William & Mary. We asked Coach Shaver his thoughts on his former star player to which Shaver replied, "Ralph should make an excellent basketball coach. After all, those who can't do, teach."

Mr. Baker claims to have gone to elementary school and high school with the famous rapper the Lady of Rage. The Shock Exchange asked Ms. Rage about her memory of Mr. Baker to which she replied "I have never heard of Ralph Baker. Furthermore, I wish he would quit calling me up and asking for free stuff."

During Ralph's senior year in college, his favorite commercial featured a pair of L.A. Gear sneakers with the flashing lights in the back. Ralph was known to chastise his teammates on several occasions with "See, if you had worn your L.A. Gear with the flashing lights you probably would not have missed that dunk." At the basketball awards banquet, Ralph was rewarded with a brand new pair of L.A. Gear signed by the entire team. Never worn, the sneakers are kept in a safe at an undisclosed location where no one person knows the combination – half of the combination is kept in the state of Virginia and the other half in the state of New York. Look for Ralph’s vintage L.A. Gear at a sneaker battle near you.

While in high school, Ralph earned the nickname "Silk" from his many female admirers because he was so smooth on an off the basketball court. However, while performing its own "due diligence", the Shock Exchange learned from Ralph's former classmates that: (i) it was Ralph who actually gave himself that nickname, to everyone's bewilderment and (ii) the only person who ever referred to him as "Silk" was his grandmother . . . bless her heart. Mr. Baker had no comment on these allegations.
You can contact Mr. Baker at coachbaker@newyorkshockexchange.com.

Ralph's supreme Court date, Aug 7th 2:30 pm 360 Adams st Brooklyn rm 961 Judge Laura Jacobson

Ralph will be appearing, via tele-conference  at 2:30 pm on Aug 7th in Room 961
. Judge Laura Jacobson will be residing over the case. Ralph is a little worried that they will try and take 140 metropolitan from him, in which case he will have to appeal.

He needs any support possible.

Ralph Needs a A writ of habeas corpus for his August 6th Court Date

details to follow

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habeas_corpus

Write it up and send to :
Judge Chun
part 50
Supreme Court
350 Jay street
Brooklyn NY 11201

make sure you date it aug 6th 2013

more bad press for Ralph

Before you read the article please remember the name on the title to this property in dispute is "Ralph Baker"
not "Ralph W. Baker Jr."- The 46 year old Baker's name.   Yes, these are two different people, but only one of them has their legal name on the  document- the 63 yr old blind photographer - Ralph Baker


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2305363/Ralph-Baker-The-landlord-homeless-evil-doppelganger-trying-steal-building.html

A landlord in Brooklyn, New York, says he has an 'evil doppelganger' who is trying to steal his life and building. 

Ralph Baker, 46, says he is the 'good Ralph Baker.' He says he has had to work to protect his property from a 63-year-old blind homeless man called Ralph Baker, who claims the building is actually his. 

The two men are not related.

The older Baker even convinced a bail bondsman he owned the apartment building and used it as collateral to get released from jail.

Will the real Ralph Baker please stand up? Ralph Baker, 46, left, owns a building in Brooklyn. He says Ralph Baker, 63, right, is trying to scam his way into owning it

'I’m the good Ralph Baker, and he’s the evil Ralph Baker,' the younger Baker told a Brooklyn Supreme Court on Friday, according to the New York Post. 'I don’t like the guy, but I marvel at how ingenious he is.'

The older Baker has nothing in common with the younger, except that they share a name. 

The older Baker is homeless and wears dreadlocks. He has 30 prior arrests, mostly for drug possession, contempt of course and vending without a license.

More...

• 
  

He previously made his money taking $20 photos of tourists in Times Square - despite being completely blind.

He has claimed in that the younger Baker is a squatter in the Fort Green, Brooklyn, building and that he owes thousands in back rent.

This is the $324,000 building in Fort Green, Brooklyn, that the two Ralph Bakers have been fighting over for years

The older Baker has even called the residents of the building and harassed them for rent money, the Post reports. 

He was arrested in 2010 for filing false court papers claiming he owned the building. 

Last year, when he was jailed on Riker's Island for unrelated charges, he convinced a bail bondsman that the building was his. The bondsman put up $200,000 cash and listed the younger Ralph Baker's $324,000 apartment building as collateral. 

The older Baker was free for two months before authorities realized what had happened. 

'He’s very crafty. I truly believe that he thinks he owns that building. That’s the scary part,' said bail bondsman Ira Judelson told the Post. 

Update May 15th 2013

Spoke with Ralph. They put him back in prison. This time they are requesting 200,010 thousand dollars cash for his bail. We're trying to figure out how to get him out again so he can actually
have his day in court

letter from ralph while he was briefly out on bail

Hi Matt, it's great to be free. Went to landlord tenant court for both houses. Got dates for early march for final eviction.

I's was wonderin were you able to follow up and contact editorial desk as to sign up an investigative reporter to write follow up stories from the information package that you were sent.

I believe Newsday, brooklyn section might write a follow up article to its 1996 waterfront feature "ralph baker homeless man plans waterfront". I believe New York Law Journal and Post received packages also. Would you have time to build a plastic extruded structure including a boardwalk that extends 800 feet on the Williamsburg waterfront starting soon (built by June)? How's the baby?

out and able!

I'm happy to say Ralph is out on bail and able to work on reclaiming his property....
more soon

Court Docs showing that Ralph Baker is the true owner of 140 Metropolitan

RALPH IN HIS OWN WORDS(during court)

Ralph is the defendant...

Update

As I was riding the bus to Ralph's Court date the morning of Jan 14th, Ralph called to say that it was postponed and they would not tell him why or till when.
He ended up going down the following day and  Ralph said his "Lawyer" "threw him under the bus by asking for a 300,000$ bail. The Judge changed it to 200,000$.
When I spoke with Ralph today (MLK day, the 21st) he felt he would be out by Friday by putting up one of his buildings for collateral and then he will be able to continue fighting his cases being that he won't be at Rikers anymore...

Keep your finger's crossed

3 photos of Ralph that I got from his building circa 1994

These are from Ralph's building on the East river at north 7th st in Williamsburg Brooklyn, shortly before the fire department burnt it down for fire training. "This is how they were able to legally block my ownership of the waterfront property"  Ralph told me recently. "You can't lay claim to unused buildings if the building don't exist"

Court date January 14th! Come be present

I just received a call from Ralph. The Courts are asking for a 'show of cause" which means whomever is keeping him at Rikers must prove why. Ralph thinks this is a good thing. He asked if any supporters could be present.  Time:9:30 am   place: 320 jay street  Criminal Court  -Judge Walsh's Court part 50

Ralph's Mailing address

Ralph Baker
#113 12 00 638
Rikers Island NIC
1500 Hazen Street
Elmherst Queens  11370

Press Release: World Exhibited Photographer and Artist being held Prisoner of War on Crimes in Kings County

Ralph Baker, Currently Held on Riker's Island, North Infirmary Command, 1500 Hazen Street, East Elmhurst, New York, 11370, designated as "crippled crazy homeless blind colored man" and "menace to society" is awaiting trial on a nineteen count felony indictment(including: offering a false instrument for filing in the First Degree, obstructing governmental administration in the Second degree, falsifying business records in the First degree, criminal trespass in the Second degree, criminal contempt in the Second degree) Ralph Baker stands on the United States Constitution guaranteeing life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness but is being persecuted by the District Attaorney's Office with a hidden agenda, riddled with bias, racial profiling, and exaggerated unconstitutional ex post facto laws. Expecting to be held for the next 6-18 months, Ralph Baker appeals to the United States Eastern District Court for release on unconstitutional grounds.

Ralph Baker 113-12-00638
tel.(718) 599-4771 (voice mailbox)
RalphBakerB@aol.com

Ralph's Drawing for the Architectural Inventions Book

This the drawing I helped Ralph make for the Book: Architectural Inventions(Visionary Drawings) published by Laurence King

Current thoughts on Ralph Baker's Situation

I've know Ralph Baker since  the time I first moved to the northside of Williamsburg Brooklyn in 1996.
I've been in touch with him off and on all these years and I've always been interested in his different land and real estate ventures.


I would like to first say people in the United States  are supposed to  be considered innocent until proven guilty. The court cases concerning Ralph Baker are very much still open.
The property in question on South Elliot Street in Brooklyn that belongs to Ralph Baker, the blind African American Photographer has been in his possession since the mid nineties. When  someone took a 600,000 $ mortgage out on the building , he realized something was wrong. This is when he went to the Brooklyn District Attorney to ask for help. The person who claimed to own the South Eliot Property is named Ralph W. Baker JR. The actual  title to the property only has the name "Ralph Baker" on it. The real Ralph Baker, who is sitting in Rikers, unable to continue his ongoing Civil Cases was seriously dismayed when they brought Ralph W. Baker Jr. into court to question him about the South Elliot Property yet the courts did not asked him to prove his identity which could of easily been done by looking into his Social Security Card.
The Real Ralph Baker was able to legally  remove the mortgage from his property in March 2012, unfortunately he was arrested in April  due to his other property in Question , 140 Metropolitan Ave, Brooklyn. The last owner of this building passed away 15 or so years ago. The Real Ralph Baker has been managing and making upgrades to this building since the mid 90's. He legally holds a quiet title to this building. The person who had him arrested holds a confirmatory deed, yet these can not be legally obtained except by the previous owner, who has been dead long before this.

The Real Ralph Baker's problem also is that the courts assigned him a criminal lawyer "Doug Appel" whom admitted that terms like "Quit Title*" and "Confirmatory Deed*" were new to him.
Doug also felt that because Ralph is upset with him concerning him getting sent to a mental ward for 6 or so months that he can't  represent Ralph and that he will ask the judge to assign him a new lawyer. This will definitely slow things down  but in the end Ralph will hopefully be in a better position.

The Real Ralph Baker needs a Real Estate Lawyer

note: these notes have been made after  a couple of brief conversations with the Real Ralph Baker and after briefly looking over the court papers. More fleshing out will be done in the near future. These thoughts may not be 100 % accurate, but due to the fact that  Ralph's time is running out, I felt it was important to post them.

quiet title action n. a lawsuit to establish a party's title to real property against anyone and everyone, and thus "quiet" any challenges or claims to the title. Such a suit usually arises when there is some question about clear title, there exists some recorded problem (such as an old lease or failure to clear title after payment of a mortgage), an error in description which casts doubt on the amount of property owned, or an easement used for years without a recorded description. An action for quiet title requires description of the property to be "quieted," naming as defendants anyone who might have an interest (including descendants---known or unknown---of prior owners), and the factual and legal basis for the claim of title. Notice must be given to all potentially interested parties, including known and unknown, by publication. If the court is convinced title is in the plaintiff (the plaintiff owns the title), a quiet title judgment will be granted which can be recorded and thus provide legal "good title." Quiet title actions are a common example of "friendly" lawsuits in which often there is no opposition.








*CONFIRMATORY DEEDS

Confirmatory deed is a type of deed, which is used to correct certain defects in record title. It is important to know that the purpose of a confirmatory deed is not to give or create a new title but simply to "perfect the evidence of a title created long before". "A deed stating that it is given to replace a certain deed of the same tenor is merely confirmatory, and does not pass a title to a part of land which one of the grantors has acquired after the execution of the lost deed and before the execution of the confirmatory one". 

Confirmatory deeds may be used to correct the deeds to the present titleholders as well as prior defects in record title. See Bon V. Graves, 104 N.E. 2d 1023 (1914), which held that a "confirmatory deed, properly sealed and declaring that an earlier deed between the same parties was also sealed, obviated the defect in the title arising from lack of seal on the earlier deed".

When a confirmatory deed is used to correct a title defect in the deed to the original grantee, who had already conveyed the property to third parties, the confirmatory deed should run to the original grantee "and to those persons claiming by, through or under him by instruments of record". It should be dated "as of" the date of the original conveyance, contain a reference to the deed being confirmed and a statement that it is given to confirm the earlier deed.

suck, squeeze ,burn, spit---jet engine

Ralph's bad Real Estate Press

18 People Arrested For Real Estate Fraud In Brooklyn

March 28, 2011 2:59 PM

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – The shattered real estate market has apparently created opportunities for scam artists.
Eighteen people – including a former pastor – have been arrested and charged with real estate crimes including reverse mortgage scams, loan modification and deed theft.
Brooklyn District Attorney Joe Hynes said the defendants preyed on Brooklyn homeowners and people attempting to buy homes.
WCBS 880′s Irene Cornell reports on the real estate fraud
Download: mar28-cornell-brooklyn.mp3

“In fact one of these offenders, a man named Ralph Baker had the gall – or we would say in Brooklyn the chutzpah – to come to my office claiming that his $1.7 million property was stolen,” said Hynes.
WCBS 880′s Irene Cornell reports investigators quickly learned the 61-year-old didn’t own the Brownstone. Hynes said the property was actually owned by another man named Ralph Baker.
The alleged phony Ralph Baker was arrested.
Sen. Charles Schumer describes the scheme one of the more “sleazy” types of crimes, 1010 WINS’ Juliet Papa reports Download: scam-3papa-w40-soc-afarr.mp3

Hynes said his investigators will not stop until the real estate thieves stop and he gave Senator Charles Schumer the credit for getting the funds to support his investigative unit.
“There is a new sheriff in town and you’d better watch it,” said Schumer.
The Mortgage Fraud and Real Estate Crimes Unit has launched 250 investigations since 2009 and have prosecuted 40 cases.
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/03/28/18-arrested-for-real-estate-fraud-in-brooklyn/

photography show

SIGHT UNSEEN
International Photography by Blind Artists
May 02, 2009 - August 29, 2009

Curated by Douglas McCulloh

http://138.23.124.165/exhibitions/sightunseen/exh_bio_11.lasso

Ralph Baker is a blind street photographer in New York City. Baker shoots, prints, and sells small photographs at public events for immediate money. "Million Man March. That was a fun one. The Million Woman March was also fun. Street parties are fun. Some parades. St. Paddy's Day parade is great. Thanksgiving Day parade is good, too. Fourth of July..." Locations that draw crowds appear as repeated backdrops: Times Square, the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center, Central Park.

He shrugs off questions about photography by a blind person. "Yeah, that doesn't make a difference... My camera can see."

Baker began his street shooting in 1966, and has operated ever since without required New York City vendor permits. Baker considers himself an artist. "I'm compelled to take pictures as a photographer... it's not a want." But the police tend view him as an unlicensed general vendor. The resulting periodic trouble with the NYPD leads to his most frequent self-description: "blind common criminal street photographer."

Every single image in this exhibition is one of the photographer's "failures." These are images that people did not want or buy. In a street-based photo economy, a sale equals success; these are washouts, rejects, losers. This is a prime reason these images are of interest. The world is full of perfect, pointless images. These are glorious failures shot by someone who cannot see. In fact, Baker's process of street sales is a culling regimen. Successes, that is to say images that meet with hollow, denatured formal expectations, vanish into someone's life. Failures-read: the unexpected, the oddly revealing-remain in the artist's trove.

Flipping through piles of Baker's collected images, therefore, brings a basic photo dichotomy into high relief. Somewhere in the frame are subjects enacting what image socialization has pounded into them-stand, strike a pose, present a gaze, remain embalmed until the shutter falls. The camera implacably returns their gaze. All seems well. But leaking in from every edge is the unkempt world of lively happenstance. Unbeknownst to the subjects, this camera is blind. Sighted photographers-most especially professionals-know to keep the real world out. Ralph Baker cannot, so the photographs crawl with life.

Baker was interviewed in 2005 by journalist Raphie Frank.

How do you know when you've taken a good shot or not? Well, I only go places where there's a good picture. A person is only part of a picture. The picture is a location or an activity. The picture is a spot.

The pictures that you take, do your subjects know the picture is being taken by someone who can't see them? No. Few people find out that I don't see them.

How do you get that one over? I ask them to stand at the line (on the ground) and smile. Then I press the button and print. Then I collect the twenty.

And they seem to like the pictures? I only do special photos, commemorative photos of locations, times and events. The desire for the photo is already there.

Raphie Frank Interviews Ralph Baker in Arts & Entertainment on September 10, 2005

Ralph Baker, (refusing to be) Blind Photographer

There is no other way to put it. Ralph Baker, street photographer, is simply not your average kind of guy. He lives in what he calls his "spaceship," a green-housed, alternative, post-apocalypticish living space wedged snugly between two Williamsburg residential/commercial buildings. Ladders connect "floors" together. There's the gadget filled "engine room" in the basement, his winter-proofed, multi-down-comforter-laced bedroom, and a cozy combination living room/kitchen area that tops the three-story iron-grated assemblage. Con-Ed supplies his gas and Verizon supplies his phone service.
I have known Ralph for five years now. We lived in the same building back in 2000/2001 and he would often wander by my loft - a loft he helped build - and show me with obvious relish his new digital cameras, his state of the art portable printers and - squinting through thick lensed glasses - the fruits of his trade, 8 x 11 or 5 x 7 pictures of nostalgically-frozen smiling tourists at Rockefeller Center or Times Square.
But it's a bit strange these days to talk to Ralph. He won't meet your gaze, even as he'll meet your mind, and he alternates, as he always did, between smart-assed, but good natured, cynicism and almost delusionally optimistic idealism. Always ready with a smile, possessed of an almost zen-like placidity, one might be forgiven for thinking Ralph crazy.
Afterall, at least until recently, Ralph has continued to ply his street photography trade although the NYPD has arrested him, by his own estimation, in excess of 100 times since 1966. Afterall, five years subsequent to our first meeting, this photographer's glasses are put aside. He doesn't need them anymore. The first time he'll know what I have written about him will be tomorrow or the day after when somebody reads it to him. Because, afterall, Ralph is now almost completely blind and insane enough, through pride, hope, optimism, idealism or self-love - choose any or all of the above - to think he can still live his life like a man who sees.

You're a street photographer, but you're legally blind...
Yeah, that doesn't make a difference though. My camera can see.
How do you know when you've taken a good shot or not?
Well, I only go places where there's a good picture. A person is only part of a picture. The picture is a location or an activity. The picture is a spot.
The pictures that you take, do your subjects know the picture is being taken by someone who can't see them?
No. Few people find out that I don't see them.
How do you get that one over?
I ask them to stand at the line [on the ground] and smile. Then I press the button and print. Then I collect the twenty.
And they seem to like the pictures?
I only do special photos, commemorative photos of locations times and events. The desire for the photo is already there.
What's your history with photography?
When I was little my mother gave me a polaroid camera and the film cost money so I had to sell pictures to get money to buy more film. And I did. And since then I've been doing pictures, pictures for money all over the country, especially in New York, of historical or what I see as important events.
Such as?
Million Man March. That was a fun one. The Million Woman March was also fun. Street parties are fun. Some parades. St. Patties day parade is great. Thanksgiving Day parade is good too. Fourth of July...
How did losing your sight impact your livelihood?
I messed up a few pictures. When I first went blind, I couldn't tell I was blind, but I wasn't getting the full picture. I'd cut off a person and then I'd be like, "Oh, I didn't see them." So I switched eyes because one eye, it was gone. I could find stuff but I couldn't identify anything.
What's the problem?
My retina is dying. A kind of glaucoma. Actually two types combined, so I have almost no sight.
What do you see?
I see patches of light. Movements kind of. Shadows not so much. The value is light. Light to dark. The lighter it is, the better I see it, the darker it is and it, well, it doesn't really matter as much.
What do you see of me right now?
Of you? Your [silver] tape recorder. In your hand on your knee.
Do you see my face at all?
No. I barely see the recorder. I can see it because it's a brighter object. I have what's called scanner vision. If you can scan it, you can see it.
[Interviewer holds hand four inches from Ralph's face]
Can you see my hand?
No.
So, how can you take pictures? I'm not sure I get this...
Well [speading hands out wide]. My camera sees from here to here. It sees in 180 [degrees]. And I only think in a 45. So everything in the 45 fits into 180.
You haven't been taking pictures for about a year. Why is that? Your failing sight?
The New York City Police Department has classified me, or actually my activities on the street... they have a new classification called "terrorist". It means you're subject to having the Federal Marshalls and the CIA come to your house and all those such things, as well as hold you for questioning for hours on end. After being subject to that kind of treatment as a possible something...
You've been arrested as a possible terrorist?
I've been detained to be questioned by the CIA for about six hours at City Hall - it was actually before 9/11. I've been detained in the subway station and questioned by people that are called to question people like me. And then I was arrested in a violent manner, my shoulders were injured, and I was treated as if I were being violent and the next thing is not to do it. So I'm not doing it.
Because you don't want to or because you feel that you can't?
I'm compelled to take pictures as a photographer, so it's not a want. It's a restraint. I don't deserve the kind of violence that the police department has been delivering.
How long have you been doing street photography?
Since 1966.
And about how many times would you say you've been arrested?
Oh, it's over a hundred. There are different types of arrest. There are documented arrests. That's 100 Centre Street. Then there are ticketed arrests, which is 346 Broadway. And then there are apprehended and held until you see the judge arrests, which is community court at some street and 54th street. And then there are the times they pick you up and bring you to God's country and drop you off without giving you a ticket. Or they'll take your property and you can go find your receipt for it at the precinct. If you combine all of those, then it's actually well over 100 times I've been arrested since 1966. There's a year or two every now and then when I don't get arrested because I lay around and do nothing.
I understand you've fought this in court. Have you received any judgements in your favor?
No, not the City. They gave me a few dollars once and told me to hire a lawyer.
But the Federal Court, about five years ago, ruled that I cannot be treated as an unlicensed general vendor, that I have to be treated at least like an artist. And to treat me like an unlicensed general vendor was unlawful, unenforceable and unconstitutional. However, the judge stopped short of condemning the City and gave them an alternative that was to leave me alone and treat me like a vendor.
What effect did that have?
None. Less than none.
Things didn't get better even for a while?
No, They got absolutely worse. I got arrested on sight. More than before. But [laughing] they'd call me by name now and arrest me.
So, wait, let me get this right, they know you by name, you've been doing this for thirty years and they are holding you as a potential terrorist?
Well, it's police policy treatment. Everyone is treated the same and the new level of treatment is that everybody's under suspicion. And I do walk around with the camera and I do walk around with a bag or a box or...
So even though they know you by name and you've been doing this for thirty years...
Well the new guys don't know me, and they're the ones that knock me to the ground and put a gun to me and are like "Get him! Get him! Get him!". The old guys just kind of laugh at it.
The old cops?
Right.
Do you have any friends out there. You know, cops who say, "Gee, Ralph I'm sorry this is happening to you."?
I think most of them are dead now. I'm almost 60.
Ralph, I have to ask you. Do you think race has played a role in any of this?
I don't know. No, I don't think so. I would have to say no. This is a very special thing. Just mine.
In the last year you've been at both Bellevue and Rikers Island. Would you be willing to talk about that?
Bellevue is a nice place. I had a doctor, two social workers and a nurse.
How did you end up there?
Well, on my record it says mentally insane or criminally insane. It says something about that. From my initial investigations with the police, it says something about that I am dangerous to the public.
How so? What are they basing this on?
It's just based on the record.
Have you ever hurt anyone?
I've never been involved in any violent acts at all. On record or off record.
But you are deemed to be a violent person.
Violent and crazy, yes.
What do you attribute that to?
The policy of the police department is to exaggerate charges so that something sticks and the policy of the justice system is to negotiate. And because of that the police come up with as many charges as they can come up with.
How did you end up at Bellevue?
I was supposed to be sent to the hospital and they locked me up in jail. So then they saw on the record that I was a crazy individual, so then they sent me to Bellevue. I was there about 30 days. They deemed that I was safe to the public and not a danger to myself. And that I was impossible to medicate.
Why?
Because I refused to participate. I didn't feel it was necessary.
What were they trying to fix?
Paranoid schizophrenic. Bipolar. Grandiose complex and some other stuff.
Do you see these things in yourself?
I have been in contact with all these things, but I've never categorized myself that way. But all of these chemical imbalances have been attributed to some of the greatest people alive, so I don't understand any need for medication.

Did they know that you're blind?
They found out.
Do you think that might contribute to the perception that you're crazy? I mean, you look at people and you don't see them. But they don't know that. So that could lead to...
Well, if you're a policeman and you're coming up to bother me, well, you shouldn't be coming up to bother me in the first place.
Okay Ralph, but if you don't make eye contact and I'm a police officer, and I don't know that you're blind, I'm going to judge that in a different way than if I do know.
Good, but your first judgement should have been to leave me alone and your second judgement should have been to get me help.
How did you end up on Rikers Island
After Bellevue transferred me, then the court case couldn't be settled, and the sentence was time served, but I wouldn't plead guilty.
What was the charge?
Attempted menacing.
Now what were you doing that they were calling menacing?
Same as usual. Nothing. I was pointed out by McCarren Park, walking down the street and next thing I hear is somebody scream "My kids! My kids!" and four or five cops jumped me.
Why do you think you were perceived as a menace?
The whole thing happened so fast. I never got to ask anybody.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Raphie Frank in Arts & Entertainment on September 10, 2005 2:45 AM
http://gothamist.com/2005/09/10/ralph_baker_refusing_to_be_blind_photographer.php