New York, Line by Line: From Broadway to the Battery [Hardcover]

Robinson (Author), Matteo Pericoli (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 6, 2009 | Age Level: 0 and up

In the early ’60s, Robinson, a German illustrator, visited New York and documented his trip in his signature style, the self-described "X-ray view," in which he depicts important buildings simultaneously from within and without (instead of showing exactly what was already visible in photographs). Today, with such programs available as Freehand and Illustrator, Robinson is considered a graphics pioneer. From a Greenwich Village restaurant to Chinatown’s Mott Street; from a Museum of Modern Art exhibit to takeoffs and landings at Kennedy Airport; and from the Rockefeller Center ice rink to Times Square, New Yorkers and tourists alike will savor Robinson’s beautiful and meticulous re-creations. The book also includes updated urban facts.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Each work is breathtakingly detailed, at once invoking a "simpler" time in the recent past (there are a few pop-art-ish flairs here and there that signal the decade in which the work was created). But it also tells the eternal story of NYC — that the city that never sleeps came by that name legitimately: the hustle and bustle apparent in pieces like "Wall Street and The Stock Exchange,""Mott Street – Chinatown" and "The Subway" will seem familiar to tourists and locals alike." ~MetroSouce.com

"It's an excellent book for fans of all things New York." ~Newsday

"This beautiful oversized reissue of the 1967 classic might just be the best value in the store right now. Full of immensely detailed line drawings reminiscent of Al Hirschfeld, you can spend an hour looking at each cityscape in the book and still find new details next time you open the book. A delight for kids and adults alike." ~Idlewild Books, New York

About the Author

Born Werner Kruse, Robinson drew more than 250,000 illustrations during his lifetime. He also created books, in his "X-ray view" style, on Tokyo, Paris, and Moscow. Robinson died in 1994, at the age of 83. Matteo Pericoli is the author and illustrator of the bestselling Manhattan Unfurled.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 0 and up
  
• Hardcover: 64 pages
• Publisher: Universe (October 6, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789318369
• ISBN-13: 978-0789318367
• Product Dimensions: 12.2 x 0.6 x 13.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #252,617 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Original Look at New York City, September 17, 2009

By 

Pamela Robinson (Long Island) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: New York (Hardcover)

It isn't easy finding new ways to view New York City, but the German-born artist who went by the name Robinson did just that in the 1960s and now again in an updated edition due out in October.

"New York Line by Line: From Broadway to the Battery" is an intensely detailed examination and rendering of the city's grand offerings of buildings and streets. The city's landmarks: Radio City Music Hall, Empire State Building, Lincoln Center and the United Nations building are among the more recognizable edifices that share space with simpler sketches of a museum garden, telephone booths and movie marquees.

At first glance, the drawings seem fairly easy and obvious. But a second look shows us the complexity of the work. Walls are drawn with hundreds of straight vertical lines to add shading; Windows in buildings near the Rockefeller Center ice rink are carefully lined and filled out, no matter how far from the focus and center of the drawing. Mott Street in Chinatown features pedestrians, cars, buildings, signs and fire escapes, and a lantern with clothing patterns consisting of lines running in different directions.

A view of downtown, from the Empire State Building, is mesmerizing in its detail. Row upon row of windows, buildings tucked against each other, just occasionally broken up by trees, fill the busy view of Manhattan, right down to the harbor filled with boats and the Statue of Liberty. (The original edition, published in 1967, was done before the World Trade Center went up, and, thankfully, apparently no one felt the urge to try to add the damaged site to this edition.)

That the drawings are a bit dated is part of its charm. The men in the sketches are all wearing hats; the women all seem to be in dresses. In fact, the people in general are better dressed than they are today.

This is a wonderful book for artists and anyone who loves New York. As an editor, I had only one beef and that is the discrepancy of the artist's year of death. Werne Kruse, Robinson's birth name, is listed on one page as having died in 1994 and another place as 1993. It's a bit jarring if that kind of information bothers you. If you just want to gaze on some intricate and closely executed hand illustrations, this could be the book for you.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Charming, December 3, 2009

By 

Lovebooks4566 "Lovebooks4566" (D.C.) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: New York, Line by Line: From Broadway to the Battery (Hardcover)

This is a charming and visually engaging book for anyone with romantic affection for NYC or appreciation for line drawing. I fell in love with NY all over again. And at this price, it makes a thoughtful "little" gift (stocking stuffer) for any fan of the Big Apple.

5.0 out of 5 stars Love It, May 17, 2010

By 

C. Sweet (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: New York, Line by Line: From Broadway to the Battery (Hardcover)

I stumbled upon this book while specifically looking for hand-drawn line art of New York City similar to the cover of The Beastie Boys' "To the 5 Boroughs". I feel like I found one of those hidden gems that I should know about, but never did. This is kind of like a precursor to Where's Waldo; you'll find yourself analyzing every inch of each page, looking for interesting little details. Coming from someone with no art or architecture background, this book is a great, unique addition to the "large coffee table art book" collection.