Adriana Palmer
One day, Jan Wein found some photographs.”For those of you who may not know the back story,” he tells us, “I lived in Manhattan in the 1980s when Ed Koch was mayor, before decamping to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where I remain to this day. At that time you could find many discarded treasures on trash day. One day I scored a cache of Kodachrome slides of NYC shot in the 1950s. The slides are unmarked, so the photographer is unknown.
Imagine dusty slides illuminated, color exploding after decades of darkness. That was the magic Jan Wein experienced when he meticulously scanned and preserved these lost photographs. Unknown and unattributed, they whispered tales of a bygone era – of bustling boulevards, iconic landmarks, and everyday people living their lives amidst the energy of the greatest city in the world.
Kodachrome, a color film known for its stunning vibrancy and longevity, became the medium for these precious snapshots. Even after decades, the colors in these photos likely retained their intensity. They offer a stark contrast to the sepia-toned or black-and-white images we often associate with that era.
Perhaps the greatest allure of these found photos is the mystery behind their creation. Who was this anonymous photographer with an eye for detail? Were they a professional documenting change, or a passionate hobbyist capturing the beauty around them? The lack of attribution adds a layer of intrigue to the already captivating images.
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