Description

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This collection of hugely popular and critically acclaimed photos celebrates New York City’s unique history and culture—from long-disappeared icons to still-thriving favorite haunts.

For decades, husband-and-wife photography duo James and Karla Murray have been on a mission to document and preserve on film the various small shops of New York City—many of which are quickly disappearing—and a culture of authenticity that is hanging by just a thread. Featuring glorious new reproductions of images from their past books as well as never-before published photos, this elegiac volume will delight the Murrays’ multitude of fans, as well as anyone interested in the charm and history of small urban retail.

Large in format and filled with color and affectionate detail, the book includes an introduction by the Murrays explaining the genesis of their lifelong project and why they love to photograph store fronts. Chapters are organized by each of the city’s five boroughs and include descriptions and maps. Most of the store fronts are featured in generous single-page images with captions listing location, neighborhood, and year the photo was taken.

Filled with diversity and character, these images honor destinations lost to rising rents and changing demographics. Together they comprise both a guidebook and a love letter to a city that never sleeps, and is always evolving.

About the Author

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JAMES T. and KARLA L. MURRAY are architectural and interior photographers based in Manhattan’s East Village. Their books include Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York, Store Front II: A History Preserved, New York Nights, and Broken Windows: Graffiti NYC. Their work has been exhibited in galleries and museums around the world and featured in numerous publications including the New York Times, the Telegraph, the Wall Street Journal, New York magazine, and the New Yorker. 

CHRIS STEIN is the cofounder, songwriter, and guitarist of the iconic punk band Blondie. His photographic work has been featured in galleries and press around the world, and published in multiple books.

Praise For…

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"Together, they serve as a reminder that New York City, devastatingly vast as it can feel, is the sum of so many little parts—lives, stories, efforts to get by—woven together." — Condé Nast Traveler

"These photos document a great collective loss for New York and our shared culture. They also represent a stirring reminder of the importance of photographing, documenting, and celebrating small shops." — Rolando Pujol, The Retrologist

"[The book] captures not just the outward aspect but the communal spirit of these places". — Brooklyn Magazine

"We promise, you will not be disappointed." — Accidentally Wes Anderson

"The book’s shots focus specifically on the unique aesthetics that the stores bring to their surroundings." — Huck

"These head-on color photographs are important reminders of the city’s luminosity." — Print Magazine