Brooklyn Then and Now (Then and Now)

Wonderful collection of historical photo's alongside a current day view of the same location. A must have for anyone interested in the history of Brooklyn.

This volume bests many other photographic books about Brooklyn because the book format is large and "landscape" shape (the photos measuring 10 x 6.75" inches), the individual photos are sharp (where other books too often have muddy reproduction), the subject matter is interesting, and the captions accurate. I think I know my Brooklyn, as I have explored it for sixty years. I have not yet found an error in the text. Because the author usually positions the camera in the "now" scene close to where it was in the "then" scene, the photos are exceptionally interesting. For instance, page 86 shows the Hanover Club, Bedford and Rodney Street, in 1893. The "now" photo shows it as a yeshiva, with the details of the pedestrian, the "Don't walk" signs, and yellow school bus. A "circa 1908" photo of Times Plaza shows the same Interborough head building (then a fare collection area) that I walked past last month. The author earns extra stars for including people in most photos. This book is far more than a book of Brooklyn buildings. The streets are alive!