Posts by Susan Chute

Journey through Time
with the Picture CollectionEnter the doors of the Schwarzman Building from Fifth Avenue this week and you will find yourself, as usual at this time of year, in a jolly space with a giant Christmas tree adorned with all the trimmings of the season. But that's not the only marvel to behold.

One recent rainy day in the Picture Collection of Mid-Manhattan Library, just shuffling through a fistful of photos, we happened upon this–uh, SIGNED photo of Henry James. Now we are loathe to confess it, but Mr. James is one of those rare writers of whom we have developed a pronounced preference for the Big Screen versions of his works over the textual alternatives. Who could forget Helena Bonham Carter distractedly roaming the dark streets of Venice in Wings of the Dove?

Last night at Mid-Manhattan, maybe to combat the darkness and rain, we were talking about light—the light of the camera, that is. In concert with Aperture Foundation, the acclaimed and venerable American institution dedicated to fine art photography (and publisher of the renowned Aperture Magazine as well as an unparalleled array of photography books) we presented the first of a Photographer@the Library series, with Gillian Laub, talking about Testimony, her recently published book.

Bravery. It’s a term often used to describe soldiers and police and firefighters and others who put themselves in harm’s way to accomplish a greater