The Inspiration: Berenice Abbott

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Looking down Pike Street toward the Manhattan Bridge, street half in shadow, rubble in gutters, some traffic. Photo: Berenice Abbott
Looking down Pike Street toward the Manhattan Bridge, street half in shadow, rubble in gutters, some traffic. Photo: Berenice Abbott

Some time ago I stumbled upon the images of the wonderful photographer Berenice Abbott (1898-1991). Her photos of New York before WWII reveals a dirty, compact, gritty, spectacular, glorious and very human city and as a modeller, I find her works most inspirational.

The financial district rooftops, looking southwest from the roof of the 60 Wall Tower, Manhattan - 1938. Photo: Berenice Abbott
The financial district rooftops, looking southwest from the roof of the 60 Wall Tower, Manhattan – 1938.
Photo: Berenice Abbott

Her images show the splendor of the emerging capital of the world, the scyscrapers and all the great buildings with inspiration from Classical times, from the Gothic Middle ages as well as from the Renaissance, all combined upon the island of Manhattan.

The Collegiate Church of St. Nicholas at Fifth Avenue and 48th Street, with the Time & Life Building under construction behind it and the tall tower of the RCA Building at Rockefeller Center behind that. December 8, 1936. Photo: Berenice Abbott
The Collegiate Church of St. Nicholas at Fifth Avenue and 48th Street, with the Time & Life Building under construction behind it and the tall tower of the RCA Building at Rockefeller Center behind that. December 8, 1936.
Photo: Berenice Abbott

In her work, we can feel the confused history, where the cathedral that were once mankinds greatest achievements now are dwarfed by commercial buildings reaching for the sky.

Encampment of the unemployed, New York City, 1935. Huts and unemployed on West Houston and Mercer St., Manhattan. Photo: Berenice Abbott
Encampment of the unemployed, New York City, 1935. Huts and unemployed on West Houston and Mercer St., Manhattan.
Photo: Berenice Abbott

At the same time, she reveals the dark side of the beautiful new buildings, the slums and the back alleys where the brave new world has yet to enter.

I look very much forward to adding some of her photo books to my library in the near future. Do you know of other excellent photographers of the great East Coast cities around the 1930’s?

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