"A generous sampling of photographs . . . includes wonderful spreads." — Brooklyn Daily Eagle
This original work of photojournalism history features over 100 images from the George Grantham Bain collection in the Library of Congress, a photographic repository of one of the United States' earliest news agencies. Based in New York City, the Bain News Service dealt in a worldwide array of photographs, many of which offer rare glimpses of a vanished era in Gotham history. Michael Carlebach, a leading historian of photojournalism, searched the archives to assemble the most dramatic and revealing images of the metropolis during the first quarter of the twentieth century.
These striking photos retain the immediacy and interest of the breaking news stories they accompanied: scenes of police activity and street life; activities related to immigration, politics, and public health; and portraits of children and celebrities. Topics range from everyday episodes to historic incidents, including the tragic Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire of 1911. An informative Introduction offers background on the Bain News Service, and extensive captions describe the newsworthy events depicted in the photographs.