NEW-YORK HISTORICAL SOCIETY PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST WINNERS NOW ON DISPLAY AT TIMES SQUARE VISITOR CENTER Winning Contemporary Photos of Times Square on Display Alongside Rare 20th-Century Views from New-York Historical’s Cache Now through August 1
In continuation of their longstanding public art initiatives, the New-York Historical Society and the Times Square Alliance have joined forces in a public display of the winning photographs from the New-York Historical Society’s 2011 Times Square Photography Contest. On view through August 1, 2011 at the Times Square Visitor Center on 7th Avenue between 46th and 47th Streets, the display celebrates three contemporary photographers’ stunning visions of an icon in New York’s cityscape:
"Watching over Broadway," the first prize photograph submitted by Fallon Chan, shows the back of the statue of George M. Cohan that stands facing Broadway. Taken with a telephoto lens, the photograph pulls in the Broadway sign from nearly a block away, along with the crowd of pedestrians, while evoking the history of the Theater District through the figure of Cohan: the playwright, composer, lyricist, actor, singer, dancer and producer once known as "the man who owned Broadway."
"These Lights Will Inspire You, " the second prize photograph by Michael Schmidt, is the quintessential signage photograph. The foreground captures the speed and excitement of the taxis in the streets, while the background of marquees for Broadway shows leaves no doubt about where the photograph was taken.
"The Recruiter," the third prize photograph by Juan Beltran, is a mysterious image evoking a moment at the long-standing Times Square Recruitment Center. The composition draws in the viewer with its interplay of direct vision, shadow and mirrored reflections of Times Square street activity.
Rare archival photographs from the New-York Historical Society’s collection will also be displayed alongside the winners’ contemporary images, immersing the public in the metamorphosis of the Times Square from the days of street car lines, through the first New Year’s Eve celebration, through the billboards and bustle of today. The winning photographs were selected earlier this year by a panel of distinguished judges: society photographer Mary Hilliard, muralist Richard Haas and Times Square photographer and collector Barney Ingoglia. The photographs of the contest winners and twenty-some semi-finalists are also on view at Flickr, at http://www.flickr.com/x/t/
First, Second, and Third Place images are above.
About the New-York Historical Society
The New-York Historical Society, one of America's pre-eminent cultural institutions, is dedicated to fostering research and presenting exhibitions and public programs that reveal the dynamism of history and its influence on the world of today. Founded in 1804, the New-York Historical Society has a mission to explore the richly layered history of New York City and State and the country, and to serve as a national forum for the discussion of issues surrounding the making and meaning of history.
About the Times Square Aliance
The Times Square Alliance, founded in 1992, works to improve and promote Times Square - cultivating the creativity, energy and edge that have made the area an icon of entertainment, culture and urban life for over a century. In addition to providing core neighborhood services with its Public Safety Officers and Sanitation Associates, the Alliance promotes local businesses, encourages economic development and public improvements, co-coordinates numerous major events in Times Square (including the annual New Year’s Eve and Broadway on Broadway celebrations), manages the Times Square Visitor Center and Mini-Museum; and advocates on behalf of its constituents with respect to a host of public policy, planning and quality-of-life issues.
