Silent Cities

Portraits of a Pandemic: 15 Cities Across the World

Jeffrey H. Loria, Julie Loria

• Publisher: Skyhorse
• Year: 2021
• eBook ISBN: 9781510767270
• Topic: Art
• Subtopic: Photography

A moving, recognizable look at life on lockdown and the effect the coronavirus pandemic had across the world—because every city had a story to tell, and at the end of it all, we were all in it together. In the past year, hospitals filled, highways and subways emptied, landmarks and parks were deserted, our healthcare workers became increasingly fatigued and frustrated, and nearly all human activity paused. In photographs, The Great Wall and The Colosseum look photoshopped, with no tourists in sight. This book is unique in that it creates a visual narrative to document that emptiness as a way to reflect and to find solace amid the shock. A year later, it's something we've all seen and can relate to. This is a stunning collection of the abandoned and austere sights of fifteen major cities throughout the world during the peak outbreak of COVID-19. With their fine art backgrounds and through their network of professional photographers, Julie and Jeffrey Loria worked together to capture the unprecedented lockdown conditions worldwide. The photos show a range of emotions from the physical and psychological weight of caskets being carried to a Rio cemetery, to the completely empty and eerie Times Square and Rodeo Drive, to the patriotic pride in Rome's t-shirt display honoring their Italian flag colors as a symbol of hope. The photographs are not only a reminder of the harrowing pandemic that hushed some of the world's greatest urban streets, but also proof that across the globe, we were all in this together. Beneath the somberness in these images, there is a hint of beauty amid the stillness, but most of all, there is the presence of hope and promise that we will thrive again. Cities featured include:

• New York
• Jerusalem
• Boston
• Tokyo
• Paris
• Los Angeles
• Rome
• Rio de Janeiro
• San Francisco
• Washington, DC
• London
• Miami
• Tel Aviv
• Madrid
• Chicago

New York City, arguably the center of the world’s culture and finance, became the center of a worldwide health crisis. Never before had everything in the city stood still for so long. The Broadway lights were off, the Great White Way dark. Times Square and Rockefeller Center, entertainment cores of the “Big Apple,” were deprived of their usual energetic crowds. Harlem’s famed Apollo Theater closed its doors and displayed a calming message on its marquee. Restaurants resorted to offering delivery service and curbside pickup or were forced to close down entirely. Even the trading floors of the New York Stock Exchange were silent and empty, leaving most employees no choice but to work from home, much like so many other businesses. Traffic disappeared from the typically over-congested streets and avenues of Manhattan. Subway and train stations were empty for months on end. The “city that never sleeps” fell into a deep slumber induced by a global pandemic.

NEW YORK

In contrast, New York’s hospitals and medical centers were functioning beyond maximum capacity. The sights and sounds of ambulances with their whirling lights and piercing sirens were ever-present. There could never be enough accolades for every medical worker’s stamina, courage, and grit. Each day, they carried out their Herculean efforts, trying to infuse hope into the helpless, often at the risk of losing their own lives. But like a beacon of hope rising majestically above the New York City skyline, the iconic Empire State Building remained vibrantly illuminated, its gleaming colors emboldening 8 million people and uniting their communities. Together again in solidarity, resilient New Yorkers retained their faith in their glorious city.

Photographs by Mangue Banzima

TIMES SQUARE

The pulse of the city is lifeless as reminders to stay at home replace product ads.

ARMED FORC...

Table of contents

• Front Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Introduction
• London
• New York
• Jerusalem
• Los Angeles
• Madrid
• Miami
• Paris
• Chicago
• Rio De Janeiro
• Boston
• Rome
• San Francisco
• Tel Aviv
• Tokyo
• Washington, DC
• Acknowledgments
• About the Authors