Columbus Circle: Broadway, Central Park West, and West 59th Street, taken from the 9th floor of the General Motors Building. The Coca-Cola signs tops the American Circle Building. after 10

This black and white photograph of Columbus Circle was taken by Berenice Abbott from the ninth floor of the General Motors Building. With photography, the materials are straightforward: a camera, film, and the chemical processes of development. But it's the photographer’s eye that truly counts. Abbott was fascinated by New York City's architecture and street life. Here, she uses the geometry of the built environment to create a compelling composition. Note how she frames the older buildings in the background with the steel girders of a massive sign. The Coca-Cola advertisement, prominently displayed, speaks to the rise of consumer culture in America. So too does the Mayflower Hotel sign in the background. The photograph itself is a product of industrial processes, and it depicts a city shaped by commerce and industry. In Abbott's hands, photography becomes a tool for documenting and commenting on the social and economic forces shaping modern life. By embracing photography as an art form, Abbott challenged the traditional hierarchy between fine art and more documentary modes of production.