Gotham Restored: The Preservation of Monumental New York

Paul Goldberger
James Rudnick's photographs document the intimate connection between four of New York's greatest monuments and the life of the city.


Ken Burns
In this remarkable book, Rudnick parses the history, shape, and majesty of some of the city's most cherished landmarks.


Book Description
James Rudnick moved to Brooklyn, New York, in 1977 to attend graduate school and almost immediately began to photograph two nearby landmarks: the Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge. Both structures were approaching their centennials, and Rudnick was soon drawn into the resulting restorations as a documentary photographer. He followed this work, in the 1980s and 1990s, with similar projects at the New York Public Library and Grand Central Terminal. These four monuments are emblems of America’s transformation at the end of the nineteenth century and, more particularly, of New York City. Rudnick’s photographs – both color and black-and-white – are a unique exploration of the great architecture of New York, from "before" shots showing sadly ignored structures to fascinating in-progress images of craftspeople and techniques to spectacular views of the gleaming, post-restoration monuments. Accompanying the photographs in this beautifully designed volume is text by Thomas Mellins that discusses the history of New York City, notably the period from 1865 to 1915 in which the four landmarks were built, as well as the development of the city’s historic preservation movement, both popular and institutional. Rudnick himself describes the details of each restoration in informative captions; his evocative afterword beautifully recounts his own engagement with the spectacular architectural legacy of New York.


From the Inside Flap
Gotham Restored: The Preservation of Monumental New York gathers more than 150 of Rudnick’s photographs — from close studies of dedicated conservators at work to vertigo-inducing panoramas taken high in ceilings or atop towers — into a unique exploration of the great architecture of New York. The comprehensive portfolios not only present compelling evidence of the vital importance of historic preservation but also lovingly portray four masterpieces that represent the American character nationally and internationally, four architectural icons that are integral parts of and outstanding works in the spectacular cityscape of New York. For Rudnick, architecture is not merely the subject at which he points his camera — it is, in a sense, the camera itself. Architecture provides the lens through which larger issues of urban culture can be isolated and examined. — Thomas Mellins


About the Author
James Rudnick is a photographer based in Brooklyn, New York. His work has been included in numerous books, magazines, and documentaries on New York’s monumental architecture. Thomas Mellins is an architectural historian and critic. He collaborated on New York 1880, New York 1930, and New York 1960 and was an editor at the Institute for Architectural and Urban Studies.


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New York City is in a state of continual revision, which Brooklyn-based photographer Rudnick ably documents in his images of the restoration of four of its enduring icons. Approaching their centennials, the Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty both required major conservation efforts. Rudnick's photographs capture both the grandeur and the intimate details of the structures, showing workmen climbing inside the statue's face or clinging to cables high above the East River. Later, Rudnick followed the work on the New York Public Library and Grand Central Station, documenting the details of their near-miraculous transformations. In the accompanying text, architectural historian Mellins provides a historic view of the period in which these structures were first built (1865-1915) and a brief look at the preservation efforts of the city since then. In the final pages, Rudnick shares his conviction that the documentation and preservation of the great places in a great city are of vital importance to ourselves and to the future. Recommended for large public libraries and for those with strong photography, architecture, or New York City history collections.-Paula Frosch, Metropolitan Museum of Art Lib., New York Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.


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