New York. Portrait of a City

by Reuel Golden

Trace the epic story of New York through hundreds of atmospheric photographs, from the mid-19th century to the present day. This remarkable collection, now available in a popular edition, pays tribute to the extraordinary architecture, civic, social, and photographic heritage of the Big Apple.From the building of the Brooklyn Bridge to the immigrants arriving at Ellis Island; from the slums of the Lower East Side to the magnificent Art Deco skyscrapers, the city is laid out block by block, in all its chaos, complexity, energy, diversity, and style. Featured photographers include such feted talents as Berenice Abbott, Weegee, Margaret Bourke-White, William Claxton, Marvin E. Newman, Ralph Gibson, Steve Schapiro, Peter Lindbergh, Lee Friedlander, Nan Goldin, and Ryan McGinley. With cover art by Robert Nippoldt, the collection is complemented by an extensive appendix showcasing some 100 books, movies, and records inspired by the city that never sleeps.

Genres: Photography, New York, Nonfiction, Travel, History, The United States Of America, Coffee Table Books

427 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Posted at Shelf Inflicted

Even though I left New York in 1976 and have no desire to live there again, it still holds a special place in my heart.

So you can imagine how happy I was when I found this large picture book in the library.

The book has five sections:

City of Reinvention 1850-1913
Reach for the Sky 1914-1945
The World’s Capital 1946-1965
Mean Streets 1966-1987
Tragedy to Triumph 1988-today

Each section starts with a brief and interesting overview that had me going off in tangents reading about the city’s history, significant and little-known events, and the backgrounds of the photographers who shot this collection of gorgeous color and black and white images.

There were photos by Jacob Riis, Berenice Abbott, Alfred Eisenstaedt, Walker Evans, Weegee, Esther Bubley, Jamel Shabazz, and others.

There was a brief mention of the 1904 steamboat fire that caused more than 1,000 people, mainly women and children, to perish in the East River. This was the city’s worst disaster in lives lost until September 11, 2001.

I learned about Ninalee Craig's death in 2008. She was the subject of Ruth Orkin's controversial photo, American Girl in Italy.

I’m sad that most of my years in New York were during the Mean Streets era. During the 70’s there were cuts to the police force and a significant increase in crime. Many friends moved to other parts of the city or the suburbs. The subways were a mess. Graffiti, garbage and the stink of urine were everywhere.

The city cleans up well and even my old neighborhood in the Bronx looked fresh and felt a lot safer than the place I left.

Still, I’m afraid all this gentrification has leached the character from New York and other cities and made them unaffordable for many.

If you’re interested in New York, you will not want to pass this up.

At the end are recommendations for viewing, listening, and reading.

[Allan · Rating 5 out of 5]

How could I give this amazing book anything other than 5 stars?

I coveted this book for a long time before I bought it, and while I own several other New York photography books, this has been dubbed the definitive, and weighing in at nearly 600 pages, it's easy to see why.

Dividing the city's history post the invention of photography into eras, each section starts with a well informed overview, before mixing black and white images with colour, two page spreads with montages, matt finish pages with gloss. Every photo has obviously been chosen with care, and their captions give the perfect opportunity to savour every one.

It took me a month to work my way through the book, albeit not solid, but I took my time purposely. Had the book another 600 pages, I wouldn't complain. If you have an interest in NYC or urban photography, or just like a book as a beautiful object, look no further than this one.

And the recommended reading section at the end was a great bonus that I hadn't been expecting-seven new titles have been added to my Amazon basket as a result!

Now to start saving for the London edition of the same series! :)

[Erik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, I can't hold it against this book that my era 1965-1989 begins with "things did not go wrong all at once..." Yes the seventies and eighties were a low-light in the city's history and yet also they were more authentic than today's Manhattan. Just look at the movies from that era. Although it was not always a great time to be a kid, yet we somehow survived and thrived on the chaos. We kicked ass and fought back against our environment the best we could. My feelings for NYC will always be mixed, but this book gives me great pride as a native New Yorker. I have it on my shelf for special times of remembrance.

[Gergana Karadjova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Портрет на Ню Йорк от художествени фотографии, цитати и мисъл в подредбата. Красива и естетска, издание на Tashen. В подготовка на пътуването ми - след малко слизам на Penn Station, да видим...

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous. Exactly what the title says, a "portrait of a city". The greatest city on earth. The photographs are brilliant, the descriptions very good and the quotations are, too. This is a gorgeous book.

Jan '24 I'm so glad I opened this up. It's written in 3 languages. The captions are easy to follow. The reproductions are stupendous

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ch-cha-chan-changes-CHANGES-- the city that never rests NY NY

[GlenK · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Taschen reprint is considerably smaller (fits on a lap), lighter (again, fits on a lap), and less expensive than the original edition. The photos making up this portrait of New York City are outstanding (most are unfamiliar to me) and well printed and the smaller trim size does not detract. The volume ends with a selection of  NYC movies, books, and music to try.

[Alireza · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book let me look at the New York city from several various perspectives. Since I have never been to New York, I cannot find out that how much of the book's portrayal of the city is similar to the reality. However, I think that this description is consistent with, but more general than what you can find in Woody Allen's or Martin Scorsese's movies.

[Shallowreader VaVeros · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book though I would have like a few more images in the last chapter.

[Jenn Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved looking through this. Chronologic visual/artistic history of NYC

[Annika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exactly what I want in a coffeetable book. Amazing photography.

[Nickstarfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with "Berlin: Portrait of a City" Taschen have done another great job here with "New York: Portrait of a City". The many great pictures, the nice text accompanying the chapters and photos themselves gives the reader a vivid portrait of this big metropolis from its birth until nowadays, with its many changing faces, architectural styles, immigrating inhabitants and lifestyles th.

[Patti Henderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a gorgeous book! The history of New York told through photography. Best Christmas present ever! Thanks Jen!

[Kar Wai Ng · Rating 5 out of 5]

But there's no place like New York.

[Sveučilišna Knjižnica Rijeka]

New York - Fotomonografija

[Dennis Osterhagen · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing book about New York.
A must read for fans of this fantastic city.

[Jonathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Potted history of the city in a few pages. Good photos follow, some very well known, others not so well know. Good little book.