Impressions of New York: Prints from the New-York Historical Society

New York City began collecting its own history 200 years ago and, in a beautiful tribute to its bicentennial, the New-York Historical Society gathers nearly 150 artistic portrayals of the city's ever-changing urban landscape. As curator Symmes points out in her informative introduction, artists have always been drawn to depicting the city's ""architecture and infrastructure, its triumphs and disasters, its extraordinary monuments and everyday occurrences."" One of two gatefolds reproduces a 1717 print of a view of Manhattan and the East River brimming with ships. The second gatefold gives a similarly panoramic view of the East River, drawn more than a century later. And, as proof that photography has not completely superseded art in portraying modern New York, the book also contains a 2003 woodcut by Yvonne Jacquette that evokes the glimmer of nighttime lights on the southern tip of Manhattan and a mezzotint, also from 2003, by Art Werger that uses composite images to convey the dizzying intensity of Times Square. Detailed captions by Symmes add to one's appreciation of the prints. This is a visual treat for those who have been captivated by the Big Apple in all its guises.