What Was Left Behind
From 1912 until 2007, the home of the New York Times resided at 229 West 43rd Street, NYC. Days before the venerable paper handed over the keys, I was given full and unfettered access to the entirety of that iconic building. The arrangement with the new owner allowed people to leave whatever they didn’t want in place. My friend, Melissa Jun, with whom I have collaborated in the past, was one of the last whose office had to move. She saw the potential and asked if I would be interested in photographing the deserted building.
As a devoted reader of the famed newspaper from my early years, I felt like a kid in a candy store. It was difficult to decide what type of film and camera to use. All I knew was I would methodically document floor to floor, room to room, until I was told my time was up. History was changed by the people who worked here and one could feel it within the walls. So many remants of memories and spirits were left behind.
Throughout my brief time there, cameras in hand, I had a sense of awe and humility. For days, I wandered meeting no one except security at the front door and someone in the basement making sure the utilities stayed on. From the corporate suites, the floors where the journalists and editors worked, to the basement where the presses once shook. Whatever door was open, I walked through. My imagination went wild. It was as though voices were heard in the echoing silence. Everywhere I turned, there were keys to the past. Basking in varied light, this is a document as I saw it.
