The photos in this book cover many aspects of what constitutes and gives New York City its unique character. The book starts with photos of some bridges (the Manhattan, the George Washington) shown from less familiar vantage points. Pictures of well-known buildings like the Hearst Tower are followed by lesser known ones, such as the Decker Building at Union Square, a Roman Catholic Church on First Avenue and Sixty-Sixth Street, the Montauk Club in Brooklyn. Next are photos of New Yorkers at work, play, and leisure: making pizza, glass blowing, in-line skating, exercising, making music, attending a Gay Pride Parade, etc. Some temporary outdoor sculpture exhibits and some permanent sculpture, such as a memorial to a Titanic victim and the beautiful sand sculpture in a Manhattan playground follow. Pictures of people at parades, the Macy's, the St. Patrick's Day, and the Hispanic Day are also shown. A large number of original wall murals (graffiti), many of which have since disappeared in the last twenty years as the city rebuilds itself, are included. A striking picture of the Twin Towers on fire, as well as some winter pictures, are also presented. The book concludes with a section of photos of the New York Subway system: stained glass windows, ceramic mosaics, and shots taken inside the subway cars. New York City is so large and diverse that one could make several books of photos like this and not repeat any of the photographs.
" Bernie, a lifelong New Yorker has curated and published a selection of his photographs late in life, which in itself I find to be significant and moving thing to do. These images represent his view of the world around him over the course of decades; a love letter to the city and its inhabitants."
- Gregory Crewdson
Chairperson of the Photography Dept., Yale
Bernie Goldschmidt was born in NYC, grew up in Washington
Heights, Manhattan, and currently lives in Park Slope,
Brooklyn. He graduated from The City College of New York
and received his Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of
Wisconsin in Madison. He has been taking pictures for more
than 50 years. As is the case for many, parenthood inspired
him to take his first black and white photos. He soon discovered
the joys of doing his own developing and printing, which
prompted him to take more pictures when on vacation and at
special family events. The advent of digitalized self-focusing
cameras and computerized photographic editing programs
facilitated the creation of even more interesting and beautiful
photographs. The one hundred plus photographs in this book
are a testament to that
