- El, 2nd and 3rd Avenue Lines: Bowery and Division Streets, Manhattan
- from the series Changing New York
Sheet: 9 15/16 × 7 15/16 in. (25.3 × 20.1 cm)
Explore Further
New York City’s exploding
population in the early 20th century was matched by its rapid transformation
into a modern metropolis. In the 1930s, sponsored by the New Deal’s Federal Art
Project, Berenice Abbott embarked on an ambitious project to document the
changing face of New York’s architectural legacy, an encyclopedic documentation
of a city in a time of transition. Her decade-long project ultimately comprised
more than 700 photographs and culminated in her 1939 book Changing New York.
Though never an official member, Abbott had a very close relationship with the
Photo League and lectured there often.
ProvenanceEx-collection New York Public Library; [Lunn Ltd., New York]; purchased by Manfred Heiting, August 11, 1990; purchased by MFAH, 2002.
Exhibition HistoryExhibited in, "American Vision: Photographers from the East, Selections from the Manfred Heiting Collection purchased by the Brown Foundation for the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston from August 23-December 29, 2003.
Exhibited in, "New York, New York: Photographs from the Manfred Heiting Collection", at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston from October 8 - March 9, 2003.
Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks
Stamped in red, verso, in a stamped rectangle: FEDERAL ART PROJECT // “Changing New York” // PHOTOGRAPHS BY BERENICE ABBOTT
Stamped in brown, verso, center: photograph // berenice abbott // 50 commerce st. // new york city
Inscribed in pencil, verso, lower center: El' 2nd and 3rd Avenue Lines: // Bowery and Division Street // Manhattan // Neg III Code II A-2 f2 / 4/24/36
Cataloguing data may change with further research.
If you have questions about this work of art or the MFAH Online Collection please contact us.
