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New York in the Forties
This is one of the finest in-depth photographic records of New York City that has ever been published. In this volume Andreas Feininger captures New York in her "glorious" years. You'll see New York as the leader in commerce, industry and shipping, the place where America's most skilled and talented came to succeed.
Included is almost every aspect of city life from the eerie shots of New York during the "dimout" to the bright lights of 42nd Street. You'll see buildings that look much the same and sights that have vastly changed. The Flatiron Building, Rockefeller Center, the Singer Building, tattoo parlors, clean city streets, 42nd Street with no pornographic movies. You'll see the Normandie in her heyday, the Queen Mary , and New York as one of the greatest port towns with 771 miles of bustling waterfront activity. You'll see Harlem nightclub at 135th Street, the Louis-Walcott fight at Madison Square Garden, the glittering audience at the old Met; Fifth Avenue during the blizzard of '47; horse-drawn vehicles, the els, the last decade of the street car; the Lower East Side poultry markets and frenzied activity at the Fulton Fish Market; Bowery flophouses; the skyscraper race; incredible views made of the stair-step constructions of skyscrapers; the Brooklyn Bridge, Chinatown, Coney Island, Yorkville, and more.
One hundred and sixty two photographs show a multitude of facets of New York in the 1940s, the decade during which the city flourished and grew with incredible activity. The interesting, factual captions by John von Hartz convey a clear picture of what living in New York was like, giving us a background and explaining the problems, excitement, and changes people faced.
Andreas Feininger brings to this volume an enormous reputation in the field of photography. A former staff photographer of Life magazine, author of several photography texts, and compiler of volumes of his own photographs, Mr. Feininger has personally supervised the publication of this collection of his famous photographs of New York City. While some of these photos have been seen in other books, never before have so many of them been made available in one volume.
Included is almost every aspect of city life from the eerie shots of New York during the "dimout" to the bright lights of 42nd Street. You'll see buildings that look much the same and sights that have vastly changed. The Flatiron Building, Rockefeller Center, the Singer Building, tattoo parlors, clean city streets, 42nd Street with no pornographic movies. You'll see the Normandie in her heyday, the Queen Mary , and New York as one of the greatest port towns with 771 miles of bustling waterfront activity. You'll see Harlem nightclub at 135th Street, the Louis-Walcott fight at Madison Square Garden, the glittering audience at the old Met; Fifth Avenue during the blizzard of '47; horse-drawn vehicles, the els, the last decade of the street car; the Lower East Side poultry markets and frenzied activity at the Fulton Fish Market; Bowery flophouses; the skyscraper race; incredible views made of the stair-step constructions of skyscrapers; the Brooklyn Bridge, Chinatown, Coney Island, Yorkville, and more.
One hundred and sixty two photographs show a multitude of facets of New York in the 1940s, the decade during which the city flourished and grew with incredible activity. The interesting, factual captions by John von Hartz convey a clear picture of what living in New York was like, giving us a background and explaining the problems, excitement, and changes people faced.
Andreas Feininger brings to this volume an enormous reputation in the field of photography. A former staff photographer of Life magazine, author of several photography texts, and compiler of volumes of his own photographs, Mr. Feininger has personally supervised the publication of this collection of his famous photographs of New York City. While some of these photos have been seen in other books, never before have so many of them been made available in one volume.
178 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1978
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 29, 2019
This book of photographs has been in my possession for almost forty years. While reading ‘Manhattan ‘45’, a highly entertaining reconstruction of life in New York City after World War II, written by Jan Morris, I began to realise that this is a perfect companion piece for the stories she has to tell. Feininger and his commentator John von Hartz give you the chance to really immerse yourself in the hustle and bustle of this great city in its heyday. Although first published in 1978, it still seems to be in print.
Throughout the years I made a couple of visits to the city, the first time as an impressionable youth in the summer of 1981, but thanks to Feininger and a bunch of old movies the images imprinted in my mind seem to be mostly in black and white, accompanied by the tunes of Gershwin and Ellington.
Throughout the years I made a couple of visits to the city, the first time as an impressionable youth in the summer of 1981, but thanks to Feininger and a bunch of old movies the images imprinted in my mind seem to be mostly in black and white, accompanied by the tunes of Gershwin and Ellington.
September 15, 2021
Fantastic collection of photos, with editorial comment by John Von Hartz. Good to read in conjunction with Berenice Abbott's "New York In The Thirties," which I think is slightly better.
September 25, 2008
A nice book with many wonderful black-and-white pictures of New York City. Too bad that the book has no text, except for the preface. My favorite picture is the one on page 11 where a ferry just arrives in New Jersey: Separate exits for men and women but those were the times. And I like the pictures of the ocean steamer Queen Mary.
November 1, 2016
A beautiful photo book of classic 40s New York - wonderful. Recommended for any lover of that great city, and good fun to take with you and compare "then" with "now".
September 18, 2008
Beautiful. Documentary and romantic all at once.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews