New York 1980 by Helen Levitt

Helen Levitt, a paragon of twentieth century New York street photography, died yesterday at her home in Manhattan. She was 95.

Of all of Levitt’s iconic work, the image above is my favorite. Well, that and her photo of the children watching soap bubbles drift along an empty street. Oh, and the baby on the windowsill with a mustache, goatee, and Frankenstein-style stitch marks painted on his face. And on, and on, and on …

Levitt’s was a kind eye. She obviously loved children. But she saw beyond their cute antics, instead choosing to reveal their odd existence as miniature adults. In her photos of kids, lessons abound: on human interaction, on simple joy, on the awkwardness of being in the world.

While living in Amsterdam, I visited her “On the Street” exhibition at FOAM and wrote a small review for a local weekly. The piece was never published, so I offer it here in tribute.

Exhibition Review | Helen Levitt: In the Street | Foam_fotografiemuseum, Amsterdam