“Freezing The City That Never Sleeps”: A Brooklyn Chemist’s 1800s Photos Capture New York In Motion

June 26, 1886. Jamie Swan jumps off a short stone wall at Fort Greene Park in Brooklyn. IMAGE: WALLACE G. LEVISON/THE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGES

Wallace G. Levison was a chemist, inventor, and lecturer who founded the Departments of Mineralogy and Astronomy at the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences in the latter half of the 19th century. He was also an avid photographer, using the new technology both as a scientific tool and a recreational activity. As the dawn of the 20th century approached, newer, more sensitive film emulsions were developed that allowed pictures to be taken with faster and faster shutter speeds. Continue reading »