Grand Central Station 1947

Paul Himmel made this photo of Grand Central Station, likely in the mid-20th century, using gelatin silver print. It’s a bustling crowd, rendered with a kind of hazy softness. The graininess almost makes it feel like a charcoal drawing, smudged and rubbed into the paper. Look closely, and you see how Himmel uses blur as a deliberate tool. Faces and figures melt into each other, creating this incredible sense of movement. There is a ghostly quality in the image, the figures are present and absent all at once. The tonal range in the print is subtle and nuanced, not too harsh, but rather a soft, almost melancholic feel, reflecting the fleeting nature of urban life. This makes me think of Gerhard Richter's blurred paintings, capturing a similar sense of transience and memory. Ultimately, Himmel’s photo invites us to slow down and consider the beauty of everyday moments and the ephemeral nature of existence.