CHOICE:
"An important contribution to a growing body of literature based on original archival material documenting the history of New York City's Art Deco skyscrapers. . . . In addition to its obvious value for architectural historians, this book will appeal to anyone interested in documentary photography of urban street life in New York City. Highly recommended." (March 2003)
AJ - Architect's Journal (UK):
"[Large-format negatives] are presented to advantage here with double-page spreads and gatefolds; and while the Chrysler itself is the focus, a broader picture of midtown Manhattan emerges too—not to mention many incidental period details." (December 5, 2002)
The Los Angeles Times:
"The dramatic images presented here showcase the optimism of the Chrysler's machine-age architecture against the backdrop of Depression-era Manhattan, form the marble-clad lobby to the exterior's ornamental eagles and gargoyles representing car parts."
One Man's Treasure..., January Magazine:
"The photographs, beautifully detailed and superbly reproduced, are not only a record of the Chrysler during construction but also offer us a tiny slice of New York life. . . . THE CHRYSLER BUILDING dedicates itself to the simple yet elegant presentation of these images." (November 2002)
Modernism:
"The 170 shimmering photographs show more than the building itself. The New York of 1930 can be seen around it, in the process of being changed forever by its new neighbor." — Sandy McLendon (Spring 2003)
Metropolis:
"There is no archive of architect William Van Alen's blueprints or specifications, which makes photography enthusiasts David Stravitz's discovery of 150 documentary photographs a cause for celebration." (January 2003)
The Rocky Mountain News:
"Stravitz lays out the images that move from the look of the site in 1928. . . to a stunning shot of the completed structure." (December 7, 2002)
The New York Times Book Review:
"[CHRYSLER BUILDING] goes way beyond the mundane progress shots typical of most construction projects. What sets these nuanced black-and-white depictions apart is how well they place the subject within the context of the city." (December 8, 2002)
The Globe and Mail's Christmas Gift Guide(Canada):
". . .these crisp images chronicle the step-by-step construction of an iconic skyscraper—and offer tantalizing glimpses of the surrounding streetscapes of New York, in the months just before and after the crash of 1929." (November 23, 2002)
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
"New York's coolest skyscraper rises from the ground up in photos from the 1920s and Œ30s." (November 25, 2002)
Denver Post:
"Stravitz uncovered a series of old photographs that chronicle the building of the Chrysler edifice, from hole in the ground to its art-deco coronet. It's fascinating." (December 1, 2002)
Nicholas A. Basbanes:
". . .it's refreshing to see a collection of vintage black and white photographs that document the construction of an Art Deco masterpiece that has lost none of its power to electrify the beholder." (December 2002)
The Wall Street Journal:
"In David Stravitz's CHRYSLER BUILDING we're zoomed back to an era when speakeasies hid behind benign facades and cab drivers wore suits and ties. The photographs offer us a visual narration of the birth and construction of the 'CB'. . . . Idiosyncratic shots, like the workers sharing a smoke atop one of the towers legendary eagle heads, reminds us of the sweat and blood expended in the creation of this architectural icon." (December 6, 2002)
The Jewel In The Crown Of New York City's Skyline, Tangents:
". . .wonderfully printed and designed." (November 26, 2002)
The Silver Spire, The New Yorker:
". . these coolly objective records can inspire intense emotion." (November 18, 2002)
Cox News Service:
"One of the Œbiggest' books to hit this holiday season. . ." (December 8, 2002)
The Minneapolis Star-Tribune:
"A stunning collection. " (December 1, 2002)
The Big Issue in the North (UK):
". . . a sumptuous photographic journal of a time when New York was the epitome of glamour." (December 14, 2002)
Publishers Weekly:
". . .it's all pure loft and shimmer from the golden age of skyscrapers." (October 21, 2002)
"THE CHRYSLER BUILDING is a collection of photos illustrating the juxtaposition of depression-era New York City with the big-city glamour of the Chrysler Building." (March 2003)
Celestial Navigation, The San Diego Union-Tribune:
"The World Trade Center was grand and then tragic, but it never had the vamp power of this marvel that seems to cascade upward, spearing the sky." (November 24, 2002)
House – Garden:
"David Stravitz discovered and rescued an immensely important bit of New York. . . Straightforward and thrilling." (June 2003)
Savoring The Details, Gannett News Service:
Constructing New York, Library Journal:
"With its oversized reproductions and introduction by architectural historian Christopher Gray, Stravitz's treasure restores a part of New York's history that had very nearly been lost." (September 1, 2002)
Booklist:
". . .these dramatic black-and-white street scenes, city vistas, and architectural details portray this once controversial, now precious building as the grand work of art it truly is." (October 1, 2002)
New York Magazine:
"The stunning, never-before-seen photographs document the construction of the building and street life around it. Did you know there were hubcaps among the gargoyles?" (November 25, 2002)
ralphmag.org:
"The volume is a gorgeous piece of art of and by itself." (November 2002)
Amazon, Barnes & Noble, New york Magazine, Princeton Architectural Press
The Chrysler Building is surely the jewel in the crown of New York City's skyline. Completed in 1930, the 77-story Art Deco skyscraper--the tallest in the world at the time it was finished--quickly became the symbol of big city glamour, excitement, and style. Its cloud-piercing spire and gleaming, steel-clad ornament depicting gargoyles, hubcaps, and the winged helmets of Mercury came to represent the thrill of the Machine Age at its most exuberant. But, until now, this magnificent building has also been one of the least documented and studied, a simple result of the fact that there were no known archives relating to its design or construction. This material was lost in the decades following its completion, or so everyone believed, until author David Stravitz discovered a box of negatives on the floor of a defunct stock photo company, just days before they were to be shipped off for silver reclamation. The never-before-seen photographs, reproduced as sumptuous duotones in this oversize book, illustrate the day-by-day construction of this American icon. The photographs were taken by professional photo companies hired to document the construction of the building. In so doing, they also captured the day-to-day life taking place on the streets and in the environs of the Chrysler Building in exquisite detail. This book beautifully illustrates the history of one of the most important buildings in New York as it emerged from street level to spire.
