"The most original and admirable volume in the WPA America Guide Series." —The New Yorker
"New York Panorama is a joy ... In swift and vigorous prose its pages offer a breathtaking view, long in visa, sharp and clear-cut in detail, of the world's greatest metropolis, virtually a civilization in itself, radiating an influence felt in all the far corners of the earth." — The Nation
"A still unequaled history and guide to New York ... in its last age of innocence." — Alfred Kazin
Published in the waning years of the Great Depression, this anthology promises "a comprehensive view of the metropolis, presented in a series of articles prepared by the Federal Writers' Project of the Works Progress Administration of New York City." Its 26 essays capture the city's pace by day and night during the 1930s, covering its history from Dutch trading post to world-class marketplace; art studios and galleries; skyscrapers and other architectural marvels; popular music, from folk tunes to swing; Broadway theaters and movie palaces; the thriving world of radio broadcasts and newspaper publishing; as well as aspects of sports, industry, transportation, government, education, social programs, and many other facets of urban life, climaxing in an anticipation of the World's Fair of 1939 and its triumphant visions of the future. Vintage photos throughout the book provide atmospheric images of vanished, changed, and enduring city landmarks.
