'Harlem Street Portraits' by photographer Harvey Stein is issued by Schiffer Publishing, Ltd

Jesse Marth of Schiffer Publishing writes:

Dear William: 

Schiffer Publishing, Ltd. is pleased to announce the release of Harlem Street Portraits by veteran New York street photographer Harvey Stein. The photographs are accompanied by essays by African American activist, writer, and teacher, Herb Boyd, and writer and third generation New Yorker, Miss Rosen.

This is the sixth monograph by Mr. Stein, and follows his critically acclaimed book on another iconic New York place, Coney Island 40 Years (Schiffer Publishing, 2011). In this beautiful new volume, we are presented with Stein’s engaging, direct, black and white portraits of the people of Harlem taken over a period of twenty-three years. Stein’s humanistic photographs reflect his affection and reverence for America’s most famous African-American neighborhood and its inhabitants. Stein is among the few practitioners who have photographed Harlem for over two decades.

The images are mostly close-up portraits that reveal the friendliness and warmth of this city’s inhabitants, the vibrant and bustling vitality of the area, and the changing nature of the neighborhood. What may at first appear to be a casual encounter becomes a personal, intimate record, a meaningful collaboration between photographer and subject. Its rich past and historical importance have made a unique contribution to our national popular culture. Stein’s photographs capture and celebrate the Harlem spirit.

Harvey writes in his author’s note: "My intention is to show a sense of community and my admiration and fondness, and to document the humanity and spirit of the people while confirming Harlem’s basic nature—a vibrant, important and essential world famous neighborhood that faces a radically changing future."