Synopses & Reviews
New York in Color presents the best color photography of New York over the last century. From its iconic landmarks like Times Square and Coney Island to the visual poetry of its streets and skyline, New York presents an ever-changing visual collage best seen in color. Here, neon lights define the spirit of the night, a young Bob Dylan lingers in the snows of Greenwich Village, subway trains are rolling murals, and New Yorkers of every era become dramatic actors on the worldand#8217;s greatest stage. Presenting workand#8212;much of it unknownand#8212;by major photographers, including such masters as Andrand#233; Kertand#233;sz, William Klein, Helen Levitt, and Joel Meyerowitz,
New York in Color is destined to be a classic photographic survey of the worldand#8217;s most visually vibrant city.
Praise for New York in Color:
and#8220;Even in black-and-white, New Yorkand#8217;s colors come through. They do so more vividly in New York in Color, a stunning, color-only anthology.and#8221; and#8212;New York Times
and#8220;Shamis . . . is to be praised not only for his selections but also for the fine sequencingand#8212;we see a picture of Coney Island circa 1902, for instance, right before another circa 1956and#8212;that adds to our appreciation of the individual images.and#8221; and#8212;William Meyers, Wall Street Journal
and#8220;The two hundred images represent a visual conversation about New York, one that is inflected with everything from soft, pastel hues to jolting reds and yellows. There is grit and grace, lightness and laughter. And, yes, tragedyand#8212;a selection of images near the end is devoted to the World Trade Center.and#8221; and#8212;New York Times Lens Blog
and#160;and#8220;Offer[s] a rare glimpse of colorful city life. . . . Flipping through the book shows that New York City life was never grayand#8221; and#8212;New York Post
and#160;
and#8220;A fantastic collection and the perfect gift book for anyone who loves the city or fine photography.and#8221; and#8212;Connecticut Post
and#8220;Thereand#8217;s no shortage of iconic black-and-white New York images. What you may be less familiar with, however, is the cityand#8217;s rich history of color photography. This history is the subject of curator Bob Shamisand#8217;s stunning new coffee-table book, New York in Color, which is filled with some two hundred vibrant photos from the past hundred years.and#8221; and#8212;PureWow.com
Synopsis
From the street, New York is a bustling, familiar world. Seen from the air, it's an exotic, uncluttered, beautiful place. From vantage points that few people ever attain, world-renowned aerial photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand has created a lush, romantic tribute to one of the most thrilling cities in history. He reveals the power and beauty of Manhattan's amazing skyscrapers, the bucolic joys of Central Park, and the majesty of the Upper West Side's castle-like apartment buildings. John Tauranac's lively commentaries lead readers on a truly spectacular tour. Now, as never before, this book calls to mind all that there is to cherish and celebrate about New York City -- and America.
Synopsis
Completely updated with new photographs and text,
New York from the Air is a lush, romantic, and ultimately hopeful tribute to one of the most thrilling cities in history. World-renowned bestselling photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrandand#8212;shooting from vantage points few people ever attainand#8212;presents the power and beauty of Manhattanand#8217;s amazing skyscrapers, the bucolic joys of Central Park, the majesty of the Upper West Sideand#8217;s castleandshy;like apartment buildings, and much, much more. This new edition includes unpublished photographs of landmarks built since the 2003 edition. New York historian and cartographer John Tauranacand#8217;s lively commentaries lead readers on a truly spectacular tour from above the city that never sleeps.
Praise for New York from the Air:
and#8220;No one, though, has revealed New York from above as vividly as Yann Arthus-Bertrand, the Paris-based photographer who has made a career of providing a heavenly perspective on the planet Earth. In his book, New York from the Air: A Story of Architecture (Abrams), he invokes Sartre in the preface, and transforms even the most ordinary street-level scenes into majestic, abstract cityscapes.and#8221;and#160;
and#8212;New York Times
and#8220;Above IT ALL. New York from the Air hits new heights with fresh photos of an ever-evolving city.and#8221;
and#8212;New York Daily News
Synopsis
On September 12, 1609, Henry Hudson first set eyes on the land that would become Manhattan. It's difficult for us to imagine what he saw, but for more than a decade, landscape ecologist Eric Sanderson has been working to do just that.
Mannahatta: A Natural History of New York City is the astounding result of those efforts, reconstructing, in words and images, the wild island that millions of New Yorkers now call home.
By geographically matching an 18th-century map of Manhattan's landscape to the modern cityscape, combing through historical and archaeological records, and applying modern principles of ecology and computer modeling, Sanderson is able to re-create the forests of Times Square, the meadows of Harlem, and the wetlands of downtown. Filled with breathtaking illustrations that show what Manhattan looked like 400 years ago, Mannahatta is a groundbreaking work that gives readers not only a window into the past, but inspiration for green cities and wild places of the future.and#160;Library Journal:"You don't have to be a New Yorker to be enthralled by this book. Highly recommended."
San Francisco Chronicle:
"[A]n exuberantly written and beautifully illustrated exploration of pre-European Gotham."
The New York Times Book Review:
"'Mannahatta' is a cartographical detective tale. . ."
"The fact-intense charts, maps and tables offered in abundance here are fascinating, and even kind of sexy. And the middle of the book, the two-page spread of Mannahatta in all its primeval glory-the visual denouement of a decade's research-feels a little like a centerfold."and#160;
"Upon closing the book you feel revved up, at the very least, and are likely to see a way to build a future that is more aligned with what once was than with what can no longer be."
About the Author
Eric W. Sanderson is the Associate Director for Landscape Ecology and Geographic Analysis in the Living Landscape Program of the Wildlife Conservation Society at the Bronx Zoo. He is an expert in the application of geographic principles and techniques to problems in wildlife, landscape, and ecological conservation. He lives in New York City.
Markley Boyer has worked with the Wildlife Conservation Sociey creating maps and visualizations for a new series of National Parks in Gabon. He lives in Brooklyn.