From Publishers Weekly
The Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building and Rockefeller Plaza have all received their share of photographic homage. This collection of images covers these sites, as well as less famous (but just as impressive) buildings and views, and offers fresh perspectives on them all. While some of the duotone photos, taken by people working for the photographic team of Alfred Peyser and August Patzig in the first half of the 20th century, appeared in magazines of the time, many remained obscure, and the negatives for 500 of them ended up forgotten in a New Jersey studio until photographer and image collector Stravitz discovered them in the 1970s. One hundred images are reproduced here and, as Gray writes in his introduction, "they capture detail like gold dust." The pictures show a proud, prosperous New York in all its heyday glory—depicting the majestic interior of the Rainbow Lounge, the Panhellenic Tower, the Woolworth Building and the Park Avenue Hotel—and it’s fascinating to see how many of these structures have changed and/or been entirely replaced. Gray provides captions for a number of the images; collected as endnotes, they go beyond basic facts and offer both history and some architectural criticism. Lovers of New York and of photography alike will be moved by this gorgeous, nostalgia-inducing collection.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Book Description
New York between the wars: the city of Babe Ruth, Checker cabs, and Zelda Fitzgerald's infamous dip in the fountain at the Plaza Hotel. That is the city that comes gloriously to life in this fascinating collection of 100 historical photographs of New York's notable streetscapes and landmarks. Discovered serendipitously by author David Stravitz when he was on a hunt for used camera equipment, these rare photographs of the city are accompanied here by informative captions and an insightful essay by architectural historian Christopher Gray.
Not only are these photographs being published for the first time, but the clarity and detail of the images, taken with a large-format camera, are astonishing. One can read the signage on the sides of buildings, examine the items in store windows, and see how people on the streets and sidewalks are dressed. From Trinity Church to Harlem, from Coney Island to Yankee Stadium, these images transport the reader into the heart of a vanished era, when men wore fedoras and the Empire City sparkled with promise. AUTHOR BIO: David Stravitz is a professional photographer, an industrial design consultant and product creator for many Fortune 500 companies, and the author of The Chrysler Building: Creating a New York Icon Day by Day. Christopher Gray, the author of Abrams' New York Streetscapes and other books on New York City architecture, has written the "Streetscapes" column in The New York Times since 1987. Both authors live in New York City.
Not only are these photographs being published for the first time, but the clarity and detail of the images, taken with a large-format camera, are astonishing. One can read the signage on the sides of buildings, examine the items in store windows, and see how people on the streets and sidewalks are dressed. From Trinity Church to Harlem, from Coney Island to Yankee Stadium, these images transport the reader into the heart of a vanished era, when men wore fedoras and the Empire City sparkled with promise. AUTHOR BIO: David Stravitz is a professional photographer, an industrial design consultant and product creator for many Fortune 500 companies, and the author of The Chrysler Building: Creating a New York Icon Day by Day. Christopher Gray, the author of Abrams' New York Streetscapes and other books on New York City architecture, has written the "Streetscapes" column in The New York Times since 1987. Both authors live in New York City.
