Through a Lens

The front page of the March 28, 1927 New York Times read "Slot Photo Device Brings $1,000,000 to Young Inventor." The Photomaton (predecessor of our photobooths) was the result of the creativity and tenacity of a man from a small town in Siberia. American Photobooth documents the history of the man and his machine, and features examples of how the photos have (and have not) changed over the years.
In Instamatic Karma May Pang shares her never-before-seen images of John Lennon that capture him at home and at work, in color and black and white. Definitely worth a look!

From the streets of NYC

New York Look Book: A Gallery of Street Fashion by Amy Larocca and Jake Chessum collects over 200 of the human subjects from New York Magazine’s “The Look Book”, a monthly feature in the magazine which celebrates the style of New York City and its inhabitants. The subjects of each photograph are captured on the street, against a stark white background, in the midst of their mad New York day. The photos are posed, but not contrived, and most are accompanied by a brief yet intriguing interview with the subject, inquiring about their personal style. The short interviews are smart, funny, weird, often perplexing, and leave you wanting more. To me they are like short stories waiting to be written and flipping through this book is fun and voyeuristic and makes me want to get in the car and leave for New York tonight!

*An added bonus is The Listings section which gives an overview of the various neighborhoods where the photo sessions took place and includes chic shopping and restaurant suggestions for each; a helpful tool for planning that impromptus trip to New York…someday.

Let's Get Lost

Fans of the music of Elliott Smith can easily attest to the emotionally transcendent quality and originality of his work. His was a fragile music, deeply affecting in its ability to articulate without the artifice of commercial gimmickry or derivative irony, both the specific and universal qualities embedded within the struggle for happiness. His Beatles-inspired melodies coupled with strong songwriting so perfectly complimented his brooding expressions of self-doubt and his struggles with drug abuse and depression that one would labor to locate a more accomplished singer songwriter during the past decade. Both Smith’s creative output and his life embodied the private complexities and contradictions of someone who existed both as an industry outsider and universally beloved artist. In addition to his successful albums, Smith's intimate and hushed songs of longing have also appeared in several films, including American Beauty, Good Will Hunting, Thumbsucker, and The Royal Tenenbaums.

Picture Perfect

Two recent additions to the collection really caught my eye. New York Rises highlights many of the 20,000 photos Eugene de Salignac shot during the early 1900s. His images document the growth of the city's bridges and major buildings from the ground up and have been used in numerous books and films. Equally intriguing is Rodrigo Alonso's Vitamin PH. It surveys the work of 121 photographers from around the globe who have made significant contributions to the use of photography in their work in the last five years. The range of works and artists is truly astounding and inspiring. Look and look again!

Submitted by Wendy W.