Happy Birthday Grand Central Terminal!

Grand Central Terminal, New York City

Today marks the 100th anniversary of Grand Central Terminal, that iconic building where many people from all over the world have visited to marvel at the architecture, catch a train, visit the coolest bar in New York City, (the Campbell Apartment), go shopping or simply people watch.  When I was on assignment for National Geographic Traveler Magazine, I was assigned to cover this icon of New York architecture.  I learned many things about the massive complex, which included a tour of the underground tunnels designed for the purpose of evacuating presidents and other dignitaries in the case of an emergency.  The ceiling has been restored, but one small patch was left to show how much environmental pollution from the trains had damaged the original fresco.  There is still the hole in the ceiling from where a rocket was displayed back in the 1950′s when NASA miscalculated the height of the rocket by 6 inches, the zodiac on the ceiling is depicted backwards, (with speculation that this was a mistake by the artist), and the clock faces above the information desk remain the most valuable items in the main hall as they are made from the precious stone, opal.  Christie’s and Sotheby’s estimate the clock to be worth between ten and twenty million dollars. This image has stayed in my portfolio for many years because I find it to be a constant reminder of my love of New York City.

Happy Birthday Grand Central!

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Portland Landscape Photography by Susan Seubert

… is featured in the new book entitled, “Where the Revolution Began, published by Spacemaker Press.  It features the work of landscape architect Lawrence Halprin, who had been at the leading edge of urban design (sadly, he passed away in October).  Together with his wife Anna Halprin, they transformed notions of public space and community.  The book contains three essays by John Beardsley, Janice Ross and Randy Gragg.  I made the modern photographs of the Halprin Promenade in Portland over the last couple of years. If you would like to buy the book, you can do so here. We hope you do, as all the proceeds go to the Halprin Landscape Conservancy, “a nonprofit organization devoted to educating the public and preserving the Portland Open Space Sequence.”

Where The Revolution Began: Cover and Modern photos by Susan Seubert

The process of documenting these parks was a very interesting exercise in trying to “see” back in time and envision what these plazas might have looked like before they were overwhelmed by high rise buildings, neglect, (don’t mean to be down on Portland here, I would wager this was due to city budget restraints), and the addition of unintended architectural features (such as sculpture, planters, etc…).

This book is a magnificent testament to these public spaces and we hope will not only bring attention to these important Portland landmarks but lead to the preservation of them for future generations.  In addition to my work, the book also includes reproductions of Halprin’s drawings and some historical images for context.

Here are a few of my favorite images from the shoot which features the Lovejoy Fountain, Pettygrove Park and the Forecourt Fountain.  Most of the images were made with a Hasselblad using 80mm, 50mm or 40mm lenses.  The film was either Kodak 160VC or Kodak 400VC.  Some of the detail images and wide angle horizontal images were made with a Canon 5D.

A detail of the acclaimed Forecourt Fountain in downtown Portland, OR

A detail of the acclaimed Forecourt Fountain in downtown Portland, OR

Pettygrove Park consists of a series of mounds and paths

Pettygrove Park consists of a series of mounds and paths

The Lovejoy Fountain which was designed to have water cascading down steps and land into a serene pool

The Lovejoy Fountain which was designed to have water cascading down steps and land into a serene pool

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