Store Front NYC: Photographs of the City's Independent Shops, Past and Present

by James Murray (Photographer), Karla Murray (Photographer)

This collection of hugely popular and critically acclaimed photos celebrates New York City’s unique history and culture—from long-disappeared icons to still-thriving favorite haunts.

For decades, husband-and-wife photography duo James and Karla Murray have been on a mission to document and preserve on film the various small shops of New York City—many of which are quickly disappearing—and a culture of authenticity that is hanging by just a thread. Featuring glorious new reproductions of images from their past books as well as never-before published photos, this elegiac volume will delight the Murrays’ multitude of fans, as well as anyone interested in the charm and history of small urban retail.

Large in format and filled with color and affectionate detail, the book includes an introduction by the Murrays explaining the genesis of their lifelong project and why they love to photograph store fronts. Chapters are organized by each of the city’s five boroughs and include descriptions and maps. Most of the store fronts are featured in generous single-page images with captions listing location, neighborhood, and year the photo was taken.

Filled with diversity and character, these images honor destinations lost to rising rents and changing demographics. Together they comprise both a guidebook and a love letter to a city that never sleeps, and is always evolving.

Genres: Photography, History

240 pages, Hardcover

Published September 19, 2023

Reviews

[Viridian5 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would've given this book four stars if not for something that drove me weirdly crazy. In the Introduction, the Murrays say that some of the stores represented here no longer exist... but don't say which those are. Some of them I already knew from being familiar with local NYC news or being familiar with that area but the others I didn't know, and didn't know if I should assume that the older photographs are for stores that no longer exist or not.

The photos are great, and the documentation of unfortunately vanishing sign styles and independent shops is much appreciated by me.

Unlike their previous Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York though, this book doesn't include history or personal testimonials of individual stores, and I kind of missed that. Unfortunately, once again, Queens is deeply underrepresented.

[Greg L Goldstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely photos, well-produced book; many of the storefronts have already disappeared, and many more will disappear in the near futureas rents make some of the businesses cost-prohibitive. Time marches on.
A bit pricey at $40, but Amazon has been selling it at a deep discount of late...

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

was not expecting this to make me so emotional about shuttered storefronts

[Karla Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book of store front pics were super inspiring for me. One day this will happen for booksnobb~
I need a neon sign aesthetic with all the colors in brooklyn mk thanks!