Impressive Iconic Photography Evokes an Era.

books:


	• New York Noir: Crime Photos from the Daily News Archive William Hannigan, Luc Sante Rizzoli International Publications, 1999 - 160 pages average customer review:based on 8 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Pretty photos but not so interesting.

I got this for my sister-in-law and was afraid it might be too graphic for her (she's a bit squeamish about blood). It's not nearly as explicit as I feared. Unfortunately, it's not as interesting as I'd hoped, either. Lots of pictures of rather anonymous people in very sharp clothing. I think she'll like it, but if you're already fairly used to postmortem or morgue photos, you won't be very impressed.

Impressive Iconic Photography Evokes an Era.

The "Daily News" debuted in New York City in 1919. It was to be a newspaper for the common man, which meant not especially literate and frequently immigrant. Its currency was images, the more sensational the better. Nothing sold like sex, murder, and mayhem, graphically illustrated. By 1925, the "Daily News" was the best-selling newspaper in the nation. By 1930, twenty-three per cent of its pages were devoted to crime.

"New York Noir" is a selection of about 125 images from the "Daily News" archives, taken from the 1920s through the 1950s. Some are sad, some comical, some grotesque. They're an interesting comment on American urban culture of the time. Many of these photos would spark outrage if any newspaper were to print them today. Their lurid content earned the "Daily News" pointed criticism from many a moralist at the time. But that never hurt business. The style of the photographs had an immistakable influence on cinema and popular culture which continues to this day. The technical limitations that produced starkly flashed foregrounds and pitch-black backgrounds are instantly recognizable in Hollywood films, just as the corruption displayed in the photographs was reflected in popular entertainment. The demeanor of gangsters and thugs -often posed for the photographers- became iconic. Tabloid photojournalists may have wanted only to get the shot that no one else could, but they produced some incredible -and incredibly influential- photographs that have only become more fascinating with time.

Luc Sante introduces "New York Noir" with an essay about the history of tabloid journalism. Editor William Hannigan follows with a history of the "Daily News" and its influence on Film Noir. Both of these essays are very readable and worthwhile. The photographs are mostly one-to-a-page and quite sharp. They are all captioned. There is a section of "Synopses" in the back of the book, which provides further information about the stories behind each photograph, when available. I really appreciate this section, which is conveniently organized by page number. Some of the photos really leave the reader hanging, wondering who those people are and how things turned out. You can find out by turning to the back of the book.

I recommend "New York Noir" to photography and film noir buffs. Some of these evocative photographs are not for the squeamish, but they have made , and continue to make, quite an impression.

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"Black and White and all Shades of Grey"

This is a collection of black and white photographs mostly taken during the Prohibition and Depression eras for the tabloid "The Daily News". Most of what could be said about this book is already here in the reviews listed, nevertheless, it is worth repeating that "New York Noir" is an important addition to any collection of books on photography, and essential for anyone with an interest in the history of photojournalism. It would also be useful for anyone with an interest in social history; particularly of big city life during the American 1930s, 40s & 50s.

Most of the photos here are of crime scenes, and a few suicides thrown in. Crime scenes are mysteries; we all sense there is a story there. But the real mystery in this book is who were the guys who took these photographs? Whoever they were, they had no idea they were setting down an arena for further developments in creativity - in film, in fiction and in graphic design. This was working class photography and these guys were simply on the job, trying to outdo each other in the quest for a better shot in time for the next issue, sparing little thought over notions of higher-order art. Except perhaps for Arthur Fellig (aka Weegee), who was apparently more astute when it came to ensuring acknowledgement for his work, most of the guys who worked for the newspapers were largely unheralded. They are now just names, long dead and forgotten. Many of the shots reproduced in this book are only credited with a surname, or are simply credited as "Daily News" photos - nobody can work out now who took the shot.

[...]The conditions under which these guys were working forged a new creative genre, now commonly known as `NOIR'. It was an oppressive era, politically and socially, equipment was still heavy and unwieldy, they had to contend with light (additional lighting was used where it was deemed necessary to illuminate, not for artistic effect) and weather variables and while access to crime scenes were not yet barred to newspaper folks, access was sometimes restricted for other reasons. Check "The Trigger's Squeezed" and "Empire State Suicide"; both demonstrate how restricted access forced the photographers to use unusual camera angles, resulting in distant shots with long lines and deep, extended shadows which, together with the subject matter concerned, creates a sense of oppressiveness, of callous unconcern, of cold doom, and of finality (this can be keenly sensed in "Killer's End"); these are what are now regarded as the essential ingredients of good, classic noir film and associated imagery.

What makes a photograph (and for that matter, any piece of good art) a `classic' is that it alludes to a story, or it at least contains something that will intrigue viewers through the ages. While much of the information for the shots in this book, including the names of the persons involved could be traced (the corresponding synopses are listed at the back), there remain unanswered questions. How was it that the two ladies could tolerate each other's presence at the grave of their man in "A Bigamist Mourned"? What was it that a pretty doll such as Anna Downey saw in John Collins, a hardened killer? ("Until Death Do Us Part"). Why did the gangsters have such flippant attitudes? Check the aspect of Louis Capone on his way to Sing Sing in "En Route To The Chair".

There are other questions for which answers could have been provided in the book somewhere, after some further research. It would have been helpful to know the process and exactly why some of the photos were "touched-up" to ensure they were fit for publication. And who were some of these photographers? And what was the system for acknowledgement and payment? Something could have been said about the cops; perhaps some reasoning for their attitudes and conduct with the public. [...]

Regardless of all of this, the book is very exciting. The images reflect the developments in technology, particularly with the flash; first the bar flash, then the bulb, and then finally the `flash gun'. The sharper and clearer shots, including those taken under brilliant light are perhaps the most striking, and what are most easily recognized as `noir' imagery. All together, these are shots of a period in history which will never return. The assemblage of ephemera of that age; the hats, the shoes and clothing styles, the hair styles, the cars, the buildings and everything else can never be reproduced. And there is something very sexy about it all.

For a further exploration in this photography genre, I strongly recommend "City of Shadows: Sydney Police Photographs 1912-1948"; with shots of folks who were colder, cheaper and meaner, and where things seem even more surreal. To see how such newspaper shots influenced photography in a creative sense, see if you can find "Retail Fictions: The Commercial Photography of Ralph Bartholomew Jr." - still around in some `seconds' bookshops.

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A Shock To The System

Warning: don't expect this book to be easy on the eyes, it is far from that. This is not for children, weak stomaches, or people with heart conditions. The shock is enough to make your heart race when viewing some of these photos. Yet you find yourself staring, sometimes maybe wondering what the photographer was thinking as he took these shots. The book is well done, but you have to be interested in true crime to, if you will, appreciate this collection of photos. It also helps if you appreciate life, then these photos will really have an effect on you, but it also shows you that society really did not change that much since these photos were taken. NOT a good coffee table book, though.

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A Step Back In Time

If you are a fan of photography, this book is definately for you. NEW YORK NOIR is chock full of amazing photographs that were the staple of the "New York Daily News." In this book, you get to see some of the poignant images that help define the term noir, and its connection to the silver screen industry, not to mention its effects on tabloid journalism. Many of these same black and white photogrpahs were often used as references to assist in making modern day motion pictures, helping to give a look into the past. From the days of "Three-Gun" Turner to the electrocution of Ruth Snyder, this book captures New York's horrid crime life in a candid, in-your-face style. There is nothing but unhidden truth in each and every photograph. NEW YORK NOIR is a well designed book loaded with powerful images and somewhat detailed descriptions. It is fascinating, riveting, and gives you a decent look at the roots of photojournalism. You can't help but be intrigued by the gritty, graphic photos that once graced the pages of a daily newspaper. It is one amazingly good book.

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reviews: page 1, 2

During the golden age of tabloid photography--from the 1920s to the 1950s--photojournalists created some of the most innovate and enduring images in the history of photography. Photos of crimes and criminals, more than any other subject, captured the public imagination. Here for the first time is a selection of the most outstanding crime photographs from the archive of America's premier tabloid newspaper, the New York Daily News

Author William Hannigan demonstrates how these groundbreaking photos helped create the visual style that we now associate with film noir classics from Double Indemnity to Chinatown and L.A. Confidential. Narrating the history of tabloid photography, Hannigan tells how hard-hitting pictures helped the Daily News win the tabloid wars on the 1920s, earning it the title of "New York's Picture Newspaper." An introduction by Luc Sante, author of Low Life and Evidence, examines the impact of these pictures on their original audience and how differently we see them today.

Capturing the mystery and drama of real-life "news noir," the photographs in this volume are both visually sophisticated and relentlessly revealing of human nature's dark side. An eloquent portrait of a city and an epoch, this book is not to be missed by crime buffs, photography lovers, or students of New York City's past.

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