POTW: Angular Beauty in Brooklyn Heights

Deborah

shadows of fire escapes on large warehouse wall, with children playing on adjacent roof
[National Cold Storage Co.], 1955,   WORK_0151, Brooklyn Daily Eagle photographs, Center for Brooklyn History, Brooklyn Public Library.

I was drawn to today’s photo of the week for purely aesthetic reasons. The composition, with its strong angles and dynamic perspective, seems inspired by a Constructivist aesthetic. There is also some human interest in the details as we discover a group of children playing on a rooftop playground - a reminder that this quiet scene happens in a dense urban setting. 

Interested in seeing more photos from CBH’s collections? Visit our online image gallery, which includes a selection of our images, or the digital collections portal at Brooklyn Public Library. We welcome appointments to research our entire collection of images, archives, maps, and special collections. Our reference staff is available to help with your research! You can reach us at cbhreference@bklynlibrary.org.

 

This blog post reflects the opinions of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of Brooklyn Public Library.

 

Brooklyn wareh…

Great photo, and great geometry, but alas definitely not in Sunset Park. The children are playing in what's now called Squibb Park, a terrace on the Brooklyn Heights bluffs at the level of Middagh Street. The National Cold Storage Warehouse in the background was demolished in the early 2000s to make room for the Pierhouse residential development in Brooklyn Bridge Park. The warehouse's salvaged old-growth timbers are slowly weathering away as furniture in the park.
Tue, Mar 25 2025 8:31 pm Permalink

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