Fifth Avenue, nos. 4, 6, 8 after 20

Berenice Abbott made this photograph of Fifth Avenue in New York, using a large-format camera and black and white film. The crisp detail she achieved through this process is critical. It allows us to study the facades of these buildings, and the lives they represent. The way the light rakes across the surfaces, accentuating the play of shadow and reveals subtle variations in texture and tone. The built environment is the key material here. The original construction of these buildings would have involved legions of workers: quarrymen, masons, carpenters, all contributing their labor. Abbott’s work invites us to consider the relationship between the built environment and the social structures it reflects. Note the understated elegance of the buildings, and the contrast with the street-level activity. Ultimately, Abbott's photograph captures a moment in time, freezing the city's ever-changing facade and reminding us of the social and economic forces that shape our surroundings.