Barbara Mensch has been a resident of the seaport district since 1979 and documented the area’s dramatic evolution from a gritty waterfront dominated by a bustling fish market to a preserved historic neighborhood.
Mensch brilliantly photographed the area and its inhabitants, particularly the longshoremen, many of whom she got to know and whose trust she gained. Their expressive visages reveal much about the area’s character and history and in the process speak volumes about New York City’s rich, and sometimes forgotten, industrial past.
Mensch’s photographs are both powerful in formal terms and indispensable as historic documents, particularly after the Fulton Fish Market's relocation to the Bronx in 2005 after 180 years in lower Manhattan. Mensch intentionally used an old camera to complement the area’s antique aura and worked quickly, often capturing her subjects in low-lighting conditions and in secret.
The photographic exhibition will also contain excerpts from Mensch’s book South Street. Opening Spring 2008. -- www.southstseaport.org
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