"Champion," New York, New York 1949 - 1950

Here's Louis Faurer's photo, "Champion," probably taken in New York sometime in the mid-20th century. It looks like it was made with a camera and film. The starkness of the street scene, the man looking up, lost in thought, all of it kind of bleeds into the dark chrome of the cars. I can imagine Faurer, wandering the streets, finding that perfect moment of existential longing. There's something about the graininess that evokes the feeling of old Weegee photos, all the while the cars and signs loom up like abstract shapes. Faurer was a total master of atmosphere, and there's a melancholic tone that's so particular to New York. This is the legacy of street photography, that ongoing conversation across generations, that reminds us of the beauty and strangeness of everyday life.