# New York City Architecture Book (Manhattan) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 23, 2017, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-york-city-architecture-book-manhattan/782864 "2017-03-23T21:11:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-york-city-architecture-book-manhattan/782864/1 "2017-03-23T21:11:04Z")
Around 2004-2005 I was at a Barnes and Noble in NYC and remember this book of architecture, and as I remember it was all of Manhattan buildings. I’d guess the pictures were taken in the 30’s or 40’s. All black and white, all finely detailed, as if taken with a large format camera. And not just the usual pictures of skyscrapers, in fact I remember mostly pictures of apartment buildings. And the unusual thing is that most were devoid of any evidence of human life. Wide-shot pictures of large buildings taken in the middle of the day, with no people in them. If you have any idea what this book might be, please let me know. ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-york-city-architecture-book-manhattan/782864/2 "2017-03-23T21:17:30Z")
Forgot the most important detail. These were not “art” photos in any matter, but what you might call architectural studies. ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-york-city-architecture-book-manhattan/782864/3 "2017-03-23T21:28:09Z")
I should probably stop with the details, because I might mistakenly rule out some suggestions, so just one more: [This](https://www.amazon.com/Changing-New-York-Architectural-Architecture/dp/0486269361/ref=sr_1_74?ie=UTF8&qid=1490304312&sr=8-74&keywords=new+york+architecture) is NOT the type of book I’m talking about. It would not have buildings in shadows like the cover, and each photo would be of a single building. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Delainey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9adbd/32.png) [@Delainey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Delainey)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-york-city-architecture-book-manhattan/782864/4 "2017-03-23T21:36:20Z")
Sounds like book might be “Changing New York” by Berenice Abbott. A friend of mine gave me a copy when she was moving. It’s a massive book, full of fascinating views of buildings…very much like your description. I hope that’s the one… ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-york-city-architecture-book-manhattan/782864/5 "2017-03-23T22:52:08Z")
> [@Delainey](#): > > Sounds like book might be “Changing New York” by Berenice Abbott. A friend of mine gave me a copy when she was moving. It’s a massive book, full of fascinating views of buildings…very much like your description. I hope that’s the one… Looks beautiful, but that’s not it. There were no aerial shots, and that is an “art” book from the looks of the cover. For mine, think of it as a perfect book for an architecture professor to use is teaching purely about the design/structure of buildings, and not how to take an artistic photo of a building. And imagine each photo is titled “Plate 1” or “Plate 2”. It was that kind of book. (does that make any sense?) ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-york-city-architecture-book-manhattan/782864/6 "2017-03-23T22:59:30Z")
How about the [AIA Guide to New York City](https://books.google.com/books/about/AIA_Guide_to_New_York_City.html?id=t0gj61QSgk8C)? ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-york-city-architecture-book-manhattan/782864/7 "2017-03-23T23:10:35Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > How about the [AIA Guide to New York City](https://books.google.com/books/about/AIA_Guide_to_New_York_City.html?id=t0gj61QSgk8C)? I’ve owned various editions of this book for decades. Even if it’s not the one in mind by the OP, I highly recommend it. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-york-city-architecture-book-manhattan/782864/8 "2017-03-23T23:55:20Z")
Maybe [New York 1930: Architecture and Urbanism Between the Two World Wars](https://www.amazon.com/New-York-1930-Architecture-Urbanism/dp/0847818381/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1490313164&sr=1-1&keywords=new+york+1930)? It’s a classic. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2017, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-york-city-architecture-book-manhattan/782864/9 "2017-03-24T00:14:17Z")
Rem Koolhaus’s DELIRIOUS NEW YORK? I bought my copy off the discount table at the Yale Coop in 1978. I see copies are going for $120 plus now that he’s famous (in architectural circles). > **[Koolhaas, R: Delirious New York: 9783931435004: Amazon.com: Books](https://www.amazon.com/Koolhaas-R-Delirious-New-York/dp/3931435008)** > > Koolhaas, R: Delirious New York on Amazon.com. \*FREE\* shipping on qualifying offers. Koolhaas, R: Delirious New York ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2017, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-york-city-architecture-book-manhattan/782864/10 "2017-03-24T14:08:53Z")
I know this is probably a futile task, but if I don’t find the book I’m looking for, I will still have many choices that everyone has suggested. So thanks! [Here](http://daytoninmanhattan.blogspot.com/2010/12/monumental-1913-james-farley-post.html) (only the first photo) is the best example of the\* type\* of photos that were in the book. However, note the grainy image, the evidence of a scratched negative. The photos in this book were of exception quality and detail. But the “feel” of this photo is very close. There is no attempt to be artistic, to make any sort of statement, but to simply preserve for history that this is how this building looked. And, importantly, note the lack of people or activity of any kind.