Danny Lyon and The Destruction of Lower Manhattan

Danny Lyon (1942­—) is an American photographer famous for his coverage of the American Civil Rights Movement. Lyon was raised by German and Russian Jewish parents in the Kew Gardens neighborhood of Queens in New York City. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in history and philosophy from the University of Chicago.

All of Lyon’s published series are part of the trend known as New Journalism, which emerged in the 1970s. New Journalism encouraged journalists to immerse themselves in their stories rather than trying to remain objective and removed—which had been the only acceptable form of journalistic photography before. Lyon is one of the most acclaimed New Journalist artists, focusing on feelings and often befriending his subjects.

In 1969, Lyon published the book The Destruction of Lower Manhattan, which captures structures that were going to be destroyed to make space for expansion and the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan in 1967. In the book are photographs of buildings and streets, locals, construction workers, and demolition sites.

Of the four photos below, two depict the neighborhood and two depict workers whose job is to demolish the structures.  In the city photos, there are no people—all have been cleared for the demolitions. According to the The New York Times, Lyon was the only photographer to photograph the area before it was demolished. In the same article, those interviewed about the shoot said that no one cared that this neighborhood was going to disappear. In the other two photos, Lyon photographs construction workers who are carrying out the razing of the area. I picked the photographs of the workers because of their composition, but there are other photographs in the series that imply Lyon had been talking with them. The four photos selected show the two main subjects of The Destruction of Lower Manhattan: the people who carried out the work and the buildings that no longer exist. If it were not for Danny Lyon, perhaps neither the workers nor the buildings would be remembered. 

Deniz Citak (F'2017), Booth Family Center for Special Collections Student Assistant

December 2, 2016

Washington Street New York

Washington Street; View North from Chambers Street.

 

Washington Street New York

258 Washington Street at the Northwest Corner of Murray Street.

 

Demolition workers

 

"Huey and Dominick, foreman. Both men have brought down many of the buildings on the Brooklyn Bridge site. Dominick directed the demolition of 100 Gold Street."

 

Demolition workers

"Ben and his brother Junior on the walls."