Melissa O’Shaughnessy – Perfect Strangers

Aperture – 2020

First edition

Following in the street-photography tradition of Helen Levitt, Alex Webb, and Vivian Maier, O’Shaughnessy captures the kinetic bustle of the changing streets and passing crowds in New York City. Over the last seven years, O’Shaughnessy has photographed daily on the streets of New York. Through her curious and quirky vision, we witness the play of human activity on the glittering sidewalks of the city. Woven into her cast of characters are the lonely, the soulful, and the proud. She has fallen for them all—perfect strangers.

The book is a celebration of contemporary city life, as well as an homage to the chaotic rush of New York City: the intersection of businessmen and tourists, shoppers and grand dames, with families frozen in confusion, wonder, pain, frustration, sometimes even joy. It is also a reminder of the city’s energy and diverse and captivating life, at a time when its streets have been altered by the Covid-19 crisis.

With an introduction by Joel Meyerowitz