Construction of the New York Subway by Grant W. Pullis

Construction of the New York Subway 1908

grantwpullis

blue ink drawing

childish illustration

green and blue tone

blue toned

negative

aquatic colours

watercolour illustration

green and blue

imagination

blue on white background

"Construction of the New York Subway" is a cyanotype photograph taken by Grant W. Pullis in 1908, showcasing the construction of the New York City Subway. This historical image provides a glimpse into the intricate process of building the subway system, capturing the bare framework of the underground tunnel, complete with supporting beams, tracks, and tools. The blue tones of the cyanotype process add an ethereal quality to the scene, highlighting the stark beauty of the industrial infrastructure under construction. The photograph offers a visual record of the city's rapid urbanization and the development of its essential transportation networks in the early 20th century.

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rijksmuseum over 1 year ago

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Photographs can sometimes serve a purely practical purpose, such as documenting construction work. In the years around 1910, Pierre and Grant Pullis (father and son?) took hundreds of photographs of the construction of the New York subway. They used the extremely simple cyanotype technique, which yielded blue coloured prints of great and unintentional beauty.