Subway Memories [Hardcover]

Camilo J. Vergara (Author)

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Product Details

Hardcover: 128 pages
Publisher: The Monacelli Press (Oct 8 2004)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1580931464
ISBN-13: 978-1580931465
Product Dimensions: 22 x 2.1 x 17.3 cm
Shipping Weight: 522 g
Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,268,185 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Product Description

New York City's first subway system officially opened on October 27, 1904, operating along a nine-mile strip from City Hall to 145th Street. Today, in its centennial year, the subway stretches for 685 miles and carries well over four million passengers each day. New Yorkers of every age, nationality, and income level -- -- from commuters and street musicians to evangelists and homeless men and women looking for a warm place to rest -- -- tourists, and curious visitors come together under New York's streets each day. Photographer and sociologist Camilo Vergara captures these chance encounters in images that go back as far as 1970, when the subways were colorfully embellished with graffiti and "cooled" in summer with fans blowing stifling air.

In addition to documenting the trains (including the indestructible "Red Birds") and the diverse riders, Subway Memories depicts New York's cityscapes as seen from the elevated trains that rumble over bridges and wind their way through neighborhoods in Queens, Harlem, Brooklyn, and the Bronx. Vergara's photo essay thus becomes a fascinating portrait of New York itself. Accompanying the color photographs is an introductory essay by Vergara in which he recalls his own "subway memories" and describes his quest to document the changing fabric and identity of the city through its subways.

About the Author

Camilo Vergara is the author of American Ruins, The New American Ghetto, Twin Towers Remembered, and Unexpected Chicagoland. Vergara has received numerous awards, including a MacArthur "genius" grant in 2002. His photographs have been exhibited widely, and his work is in the collections of the New York Public Library, the Getty Center in Los Angeles, and other institutions.

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com ^(beta)

Amazon.com: 5.0 out of 5 stars (1 customer review)

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars One of New York's Great Chroniclers, Oct 7 2005

By Marco Antonio Abarca - Published on Amazon.com

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This review is from: Subway Memories (Hardcover)

Camilo Jose Vergara, a Chilean immigrant moved to New York City in 1970. In order to better understand his newly adopted home, he used the city's subway system as a means to explore the city. Trained as a sociologist, he took photos of what he saw. "Subway Memories" is a collection of his best photos taken from 1970-2004.

Individually, there is very little special about his photographs. They look like snap shots of ordinary people and scenes. What gives these photos value is that they are brought together as a collection. Over the years, Vergara went back to the same spots and took photos from the same vantages. Through this collection, the reader can see how sections of New York grew old, died, decayed and then were reborn.

On a personal note, I can remember travelling New York's subways in the late 1970's and early 1980's. These were the nadir years of New York's public transit system. I loved seeing photos from that time period. I still find it unbelievable to see how bad conditions were during these times. Some of Vergara's photos are a blast from a nightmarish past.

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