Berenice Abbott: Changing New York

This monumental photography project on view at The San Diego Museum of Art captures the rapid transformation of New York City in the 1930s.

When American-born Abbott (1898-1991) returned to the United States in 1929 after an eight-year sojourn in Europe, she observed her home with a fresh appreciation and a conviction to photograph what she called “the spirit of the metropolis.” The series includes 300+ photographs of modern skyscrapers, harbors, highways, city squares, neighborhoods, storefronts, and hand-painted signs that represent the essence of a specific time and place. Her photographs are a reminder of the excitement and joy ignited when seeing the world anew.