Store Front

The Disappearing Face of New York

By Murray, James M. & Murray, Karla L.

Publishers Summary:
This is a visual tour so saturated with realism you can smell the knishes neatly displayed in the window of the Yonah Schimmel Knish Bakery, a visual tour comprised of hundreds of images of unique 19th and 20th century retail graphics and neon signs still in use and inspiring us to purchase to this very day. But for how long?Are New York City s local merchants a dying breed or an enduring group of diehards hell bent on retaining the traditions of a glorious past? According to Jim and Karla Murray the influx of big box retailers and chain stores pose a serious threat to these humble institutions, and neighborhood modernization and the anonymity it brings are replacing the unique appearance and character of what were once incredibly colourful streets.Store Front:The Disappearing Face of New York is a visual guide to New York City s timeworn storefronts, a collection of powerful images that capture the neighborhood spirit, familiarity, comfort and warmth that these shops once embodied. Almost all of these businesses are a reflection of New York s early immigrant population, a wild mix of Irish, Germans, Jews, Italians, Poles, Eastern Europeans and later Hispanics and Chinese.The variety is immense from Manhattan s Yonah Schimmel Knish Bakery and Katz s Delicatessen to the Jackson Heights Florist in Queens, Court Street Pastry in Brooklyn, D. D'Auria and Sons Pork Store in the Bronx and the De Luca General Store on Staten Island. And as the Murray s stunning, large format photographs make patently clear, the face of New York is etched in their facades.

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ISBN
978-1-58423-227-8
Publisher
Gingko Press


REVIEWS

Library Journal

Reviewed on March 15, 2009

While documenting graffiti art, professional photographers James and Karla Murray noticed that the city's neighborhoods were changing quickly and many traditional storefronts were disappearing all together. The recognition of this change inspired this book dedicated to documenting storefronts. The Murrays have captured the details of New York's "mom and pop" stores including neon and hand-painted signs, old doors, peeling p...Log In or Sign Up to Read More

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