Customer Reviews

New York 1930

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This is an encyclopedic description of New York as I remember it from my student years. The numerous neat clean photographs and drawings present an idealized city. But what is additionally fascinating are the rich background histories that illustrate the social and economic complexity of Gotham. I enjoy this book at two levels: one, as a valuable artistic document, two, as an encapsulation of the memories and fantasies of my youth. I bought a sport coat at Finchleys; I lived in the Greenpoint Housing Project; I wanted to work or live in those buildings; I wanted to draw like those architects and engineers. I loved these last embodiments of Art Deco construction and the grand civic projects.

This history presents New York from the viewpoint of the upper crust and the insulated, the planning was grand and well funded. The slums, the dirt, the menace of some streets and the ethnic tapestry are ignored. Just as memory tends to purge the unpleasent, so does this book, which is probably why I enjoyed it so much.

When people talk about New York's Golden Age, they're usually referring to the late 1800s, but I would argue that New York's true Golden Age was the 1920s. With over 800 pages, this tome is difficult to handle, but nevertheless, it covers New York at its peak of glory, and is the best of Robert Stern's books about New York architecture (e.g., New York 1880, New York 1900, New York 1960). Especially noteworthy are the beautiful b&w photos, averaging more than one per page. There are also approximately 40 floor plans, although most page space is given over to text. The authors give attention to both exteriors and interiors of the era's buildings. Each chapter covers a specific type of building, with a special emphasis on Rockefeller Center, the 1939 World's Fair, 57th Street, and the works of architects Kahn, Walker, and Hood.

This is the New York people fall in love with, the iconic Art Deco skyline, the great skyscrapers of the 20's and 30's. When you see pictures of the skyline of the late 30's you can't help but be impressed by the awesome beauty of the all the spires. The modern skyline today is full of mediocre "modern" skyscarpers and post modern pretenders, I mean have you seen the pictures of the proposed Freedom Tower of SOM's David Childs, the very definition of bland; 1,776 feet of boring. As for this fantastic book, it's perfect; the images are well presented and the text scholarly, really an education on NYC architecture between the Great Wars. Highly Recommended.

on NY architecture.

The entire collection is a MUST for every lover of NY.