Review of NEW YORK, WISH YOU WERE HERE by Eileen M. Ward

It would seem that all aspects of Manhattan have been pursued and covered in all media, but this book is both fresh and engaging in its approach to its subject, and in its unique involvement of the reader. Some authors focus on historical fact about the Borough; others try to place the reader on the sidewalks of Gotham’s busy streets, while still more use the City as background for adventuresome travel. In her work, though, Diana Krause Oliver achieves all of the above approaches while imbuing the reader with nostalgia for America’s prime international City, whether that reader is a native, a repetitive visitor, or someone whose life has been touched by the varied magic of Manhattan through the twentieth century.

In vivid imagery supported by an incredibly comprehensive series of postcards featuring Manhattan and its neighborhoods, Krause Oliver captures the history, the color, the pulse, and the strength of the Big Apple’s trail‐blazers in establishing “the City that never sleeps.” Supplementing the postcards with succinct text and historic detail, she also celebrates the art of the NYC subways, features bridges, and seamlessly sews together the emergence of neighborhoods, often stamped by the intrepid emigrant migrations who cherished liberty and sacrificed to have it become the background against which they raised families and internationalized their new home with their traditions.

Native to NYC but now transplanted to Chicago, the author is clearly immersed in her father’s style as he “treated every corner of Manhattan like a friend he had just met.” And this mystique is graciously shared with her readers who become spiritually and sensually rapt in her dedicated work of fifteen years.

It is fitting, in this tenth anniversary year of 9/11, that one of her motivators for her work was that cataclysmic day when she found herself “on an early morning flight about to descend into New York.” Diverted to Philadelphia, she sat, like most of us, incredulous at TV images of the horror that “changed our lives.” From the depths of her appreciation of her birth city, she has woven a tapestry of illustration and explanation that gentles the reader back to the challenging and rewarding times that inspired Manhattan’s citizens to fashion a home with pride and gratitude. No reader will be left without both virtues in taking Diana Krause Oliver’s journey with her to the heart and soul of the City she so loves.

To introduce someone with no knowledge of Manhattan’s life legacy, to help a transplanted native recall the warmth and richness of the place, or simply to celebrate the heritage of Manhattan with those who love what the City represents, there can be no better gift than this book.

42nd STREET

Theaters did not arrive in the area until the early 1900s. By the 1920s the Schubert Brothers operated a majority of theaters. The roaring 20s brought big Broadway musical reviews, and the introduction of films with synchronized sound, like the Jazz Singer. The Great Depression led to a decline in theater attendance in the 1930s forcing many businesses to close. From the 60s to the 80s the street was known as a haven for adult entertainment. The 90s brought revitalization when Walt Disney C0. opened a Disney store that attracted family-friendly businesses to the area, leading to a so-called 'Disneyfication' of 42nd Street.

MIDTOWN

In the early 1900, the area was known for its shopping which included department stores as B. Altman & Co., Macy's, and Gimbels Brothers.
Woolworth's was one of Americas first 5 & 10 stores. It originated the idea of the lunch counter to keep customers from leaving the store.

The East Village

The East Village originally ended at the East River, where Avenue C is now located. Landfill, including World War II debris and rubble shipped from London, was used to extend the shoreline outward to provide foundation for the FDR Drive.

The West Village

Manhattan is a city made up of small villages. When immigrants first came to the country they would seek out their own people and move into the same community. Each neighborhood had its unique language, religion and culture. The spirit of a city is about constant change: nothing stays the same. Today Manhattan neighborhoods are totally mixed and only a few ethnic pockets remain.

HOUSTON STREET

Houston Street is the dividing line between SoHo to the south, and NoHo to the north.

Cast Iron District - the area is prized for its decorative cast iron architectural elements.

The Lower East Side

The Lower East Side is one of the oldest neighborhoods in NYC. Home for newly arriving immigrants during the 20th century.

Financial District

Originally called the "curb market" because brokers traded on the streets.
With construction of the World Trade Center in the 1970s, the Financial District shifted from Wall Street to the Trade Center complex. The Twin Towers became a symbol of American capitalism until 9/11/2001.

WALL STREET

In the 17th century, the Dutch built a 12 foot stockade wall to protect the settlement of New Amsterdam against attacks from various Native American Indian tribes. Wall Street marked the end of what was once the city limits as shown on the ceramic plaque from the Wall Street subway station.

Documenting Subway mosaics

Background
In 1988 while studying textiles, I traveled each day by subway from Queens to Parsons School of Design in downtown Manhattan. As the train passed each station, I began to notice its mosaics, and became fascinated with the variety of ceramic murals and plaques. At that time many of the subway stations were badly neglected and years of dirt, water damage and graffiti had taken its toll. I thought someone needed to document these hidden works of art before time got the best of them. Once out of school and out of work, I decided that someone needed to be me.
The January cold chilled my bones. When a train would platform, I'd jump on and off before the doors closed, just to get warm. At one point, a woman stood behind me watching for quite some time. She asked why I was doing this. I told her of my interest in documenting the mosaics and that I was motivated by the word C-A-N. As she walked away, she said, “You know it also says A-N-A-L.”
The Canal Street sign was 8 feet long by 2 feet high. I would return a few more times before the whole sign was completely embossed. Back in my studio I taped the finished sign to a wall and painted it with black dye. The wax crayon resisted the dye and stained the background creating a stained glass-like effect. I was hooked. For the next few years I completed a collection of embossed murals that showed different styles used throughout the decades of subway expansion.
SPRING STREET is ornate with vines and flowers reflecting the Victorian style.
CHRISTOPHER STREET shows the arts and crafts period and
PENN STATION is bold, streamlined and modern.
In 1990 I received a grant from Art Matters, Inc. to photograph the additional mosaics I wanted to record. In 1991, The New York Transit Museum, in Brooklyn, exhibited the murals and photographs in a show called “The Lost Mosaics of New York’s Underground Subways.”
My early interest in these mosaics led me to study the history of the subways and its effect on the expansion of the City of New York. Each station represented a community that grew above ground. To expand my photo collection I also started to document the City’s neighborhoods, capturing what they looked like before the turn of the 21st century.
Through the 1990s I worked as a textile designer in Midtown Manhattan and traveled everywhere with my camera, taking pictures. Just before 2000, I was offered a design position in Chicago and moved away from the city I loved. Unable to continue to photograph New York, I started to collect antique postcards of the city, which made a great comparison to my pictures.
New York, Wish you were here! is my tribute to the city I love.