New York Then and Now

If you compare this book to the Boston series or some other cities series, the 'now' or current views of NY were not done as well in terms of viewpoint. A lot of the photos do NOT match up well and you'll find many closeup views compared to wide angle views, so you'll be hunting a lot to find landmarks. I have the first edition (c. 2000) and there is a gross error on pps.52-53, Bleeker and Thompson Sts. The photo on the left ('then')shows a Federal style four-story red brick building with canopy roof on second floor and recessed two top levels. The photo on right ('now') is described as the same building having been sandblasted "...second floor canopy is gone, but the facade has hardly changed." Clearly, the photo on the right is a six-seven story building from a more modern era (perhaps glazed bricks white/grey) with huge windows in comparison and a flush facade (no recesses)containing some kind of inner courtyard with four street openings. Not a difficult thing for any mediocre editor to catch! (Perhaps this was fixed in the further editions--hope so.) Fun book for history and architecture buffs, but could've been so much better. I'd say it had been done in a hurry with little editing/checking.

A city that has changed and continues to change with the speed and energy that New York does, invites books like these. Annette Witheridge's "New York: Then and Now" is a gorgeous collection of photos from days past juxtaposed with recent shots. For me there are two effects of this juxtaposition: one is a sense of loss. Many of the old buildings, now gone, were beautiful. But, more strongly, is the sense of admiration for New York's eternal dedication to progress. "New York: Then and Now" gives the reader an appreciation of the labor that has gone into the building of the greatest city on Earth.PS--Most photo books have great photos, but the print quality is mediocre. The print quality of this book is marvelous.Rocco Dormarunno, author of THE FIVE POINTS

This book of photos should really be called Manhattan - Then And Now since all of the photos are of this Burough of New York. The book begins with photos of lower Manhattan and continues slowly uptown showing just about all of the important landmarks. This book was published after the 9/11 tragedy and some emphasis has been placed in showing the area in lower Manhattan before and after the terrorist attack.

Many old New York City Photos and one of the same picture as it looks today. Great for people that enjoy comparing things that were to things that are today.