Travel to New York

Brooklyn Then and Now (Then and Now)

Format: Hardcover
Author: Marcia Reiss
ReleaseDate: 13 May, 2002
Publisher: Thunder Bay Press
Rating:

Decent, but a little disappointing
There are some interesting shots, yes, but many of them are stock photos you've already seen if you own earlier books on the subject. I wish I could share the enthusiasm some of the other reviews have, but I found this book somewhat disappointing. I also would have preferred less shots of scenes that haven't changed from then to now. Additionally, all the "now" pictures were taken in the summer, so in many instances trees obscure almost the entirety of what the photographer means to showcase. What's the point of that? Why not wait a few months so that the scene is visible? It exemplifies the somewhat slapdash feel of this book.

Sharp, interesting photos
75" inches), the individual photos are sharp (where other books too often have muddy reproduction), the subject matter is interesting, and the captions accurate. This volume bests many other photographic books about Brooklyn because the book format is large and "landscape" shape (the photos measuring 10 x 6. I think I know my Brooklyn, as I have explored it for sixty years. I have not yet found an error in the text. Because the author usually positions the camera in the "now" scene close to where it was in the "then" scene, the photos are exceptionally interesting. For instance, page 86 shows the Hanover Club, Bedford and Rodney Street, in 1893. The "now" photo shows it as a yeshiva, with the details of the pedestrian, the "Don't walk" signs, and yellow school bus. A "circa 1908" photo of Times Plaza shows the same Interborough head building (then a fare collection area) that I walked past last month. The author earns extra stars for including people in most photos. This book is far more than a book of Brooklyn buildings. The streets are alive!.

The Picture Book of Brooklyn Then and Now--Yes!
My family lived in North & South Williamsburg from the 1820s to 1920s before heading to Sunset Park, Bay Ridge and Glendale. I was born in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, and so enjoyed looking at pictures of places I knew as a child-- a nice contrast of way back when and today. I really enjoyed seeing the photos along with an explanation of how the neighborhoods have changed. I bought an extra book to give to a friend who grew up in Sheepshead Bay/Marine Park/Coney Island. A nice compendium. :>).

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