today i discovered the work of marc a. hermann {a historian of the new york press photographers association} and love his brilliant juxtaposed photographs of nyc as it was then and is now – – bringing back to life the people and stories of this city’s past. marc focuses on historic crime scene photos from the new york daily news archive and then blends them with photographs from the same present locations. i hope that you find his work as intriguing as i do!
{497 dean street, brooklyn}
edna egbert climbed onto her ledge on march 19, 1942. the news captured the distraught woman fighting with the police as she wobbled on the edge. the building is currently painted red, but remains nearly identical to the way it looked 70 years ago.
{923 44th street, brooklyn}
the tree that stands in front this building is the only living witness to gangster frankie yale’s untimely demise on July 1, 1928. yale’s car slammed into the steps of the brooklyn home that day as he was shot to death from a car driving by.
{park slope, brooklyn}
over 130 people were killed aboard the planes united airlines flight 826 and trans world airlines flight 266 in december 1960. the crash destroyed some buildings beyond repair – the ones that still stand can be seen in this compilation.
{137 wooster street, manhattan}
on feb. 16, 1958 there was a massive and fatal fire at the elkins paper & twine co. the building was leveled, but new commercial space now stands where the elkins paper & twine co. once did.
{south street seaport, manhattan}
the fulton fish market in the south street seaport was engulfed in flames on feb. 26, 1961. these buildings still stand, in various states of occupancy, minus a few floors here and there.
to view more of marc’s work visit his website.
The City Sprouse 