Briefly Seen—New York Street Life

Walking down the street in the heart of New York City is an experience that can’t be duplicated anywhere else in the country, perhaps even the world. One merges into the impromptu flow and is carried along by the ongoing current of migratory souls. Harvey Stein documents the iconic areas of Midtown and Downtown Manhattan in 172 beautiful black-and-white photographs taken over 41 years, from 1974 through 2014. The photographs are intimate and personal. They document the close encounter between the photographer and his subjects while showing the mutuality between people. The black-and-white images enhance the sense of the past. To heighten the feeling of movement, anxiety, and vigor, blur, grain, low-angle flash, skewed perspectives, tight cropping, and wide-angle views are employed. The images sweep the viewer into the experience and feel of walking the streets of New York City.