Past Exhibits October 2003 to Present

Public Perspectives Exhibition Series
Lost in Transition: South Brooklyn, Williamsburg & Coney Island

Curated by Rebecca Krucoff and Ain Gordon (Urban Memory Project)
Opening Reception: Thursday, January 10, 5:30 – 7:30pm
Exhibition Dates: January 11 – April 27, 2008
Daily News Article 01.15.08

In Lost in Transition: South Brooklyn, Williamsburg and Coney Island, students of the Urban Memory Project turn their eyes toward the rapidly changing face of their home borough. Using photography as a way to capture and document the Brooklyn they know, the high school students examine what these changes mean and how our view of the past is shaped by what survives. Their photographs feature images of new development projects, as well as existing structures they predict will soon vanish, including abandoned warehouses along the East River and the Gowanus Canal, small bodegas in quickly gentrifying communities like Park Slope, and Coney Island’s Astroland that is slated for demolition. Accompanying the student photography will be images from the BHS collection by legendary late 19th century photographer Eugene Armbruster that provided inspiration for their project. Armbruster took thousands of photographs of the rural Brooklyn he saw disappearing, becoming a true grass-roots historian documenting the changing landscape of his era. 

The Public Perspectives Exhibition Series provides a creative forum for Brooklynites to have an active voice at the Brooklyn Historical Society (BHS) by presenting community-curated exhibits. Public Perspectives is made possible by the Lily Auchincloss Foundation and will be on view in the Independence Community Gallery.

Public Program
February 2, Saturday, 2 - 4 pm
Exhibition Walk-Through and Talk with the Curators
Lost in Transition: South Brooklyn, Williamsburg & Coney Island

As Brooklyn’s built environment faces another wave of changes, what would you choose to preserve or document? Meet the curators for an interactive walk-through of the exhibit Lost in Transition, followed by an informal conversation over juice and coffee with Urban Memory Projects participants who will bring a variety of perspectives: student photographers, educators Vincent Falivene and Michael Salak, and photographer and author Vincent Cianni. Free with BHS admission (free admission for students with valid ID).

BACK TO TOP