Manhattan Shores — Rosen, Thames & Hudson 1998

📖 Manhattan Shores by Laura Rosen (1998, Thames and Hudson) — a black-and-white photographic journey circumnavigating the entire perimeter of Manhattan Island. Over three years of shooting in all seasons and weather, Rosen documents the waterfront’s piers, bridges, parks, and overlooked architectural remnants along both the Hudson and East Rivers. This is the first American edition, printed and bound in Hong Kong, with a three-panel foldout map by Jack Scott on the front pastedown.

QUICK FACTS

• Author/Photographer: Laura Rosen
• Publisher: Thames and Hudson Inc., New York (also Thames and Hudson Ltd, London)
• Year: 1998 (First American Edition)
• Format: Hardcover with dust jacket
• Pages: Not numbered on title spread | ISBN: 0-500-54221-X
• Condition: Near Fine / Near Fine — full report below

THE STORY

Laura Rosen’s first book, Top of the City: New York’s Hidden Rooftop World, introduced readers to an unseen world high above Manhattan’s streets. In Manhattan Shores, she turns her lens downward and outward — following the island’s edge from the northwestern tip around to the Harlem River, along the Hudson through Riverside Park to the George Washington Bridge, past the UN, down the East River to South Ferry, around Battery Park, and back up through Chelsea to complete the circuit.

The book captures Manhattan at a particular moment in the late 1990s — a period of rapid waterfront transformation. Rosen photographs both what remains of the old industrial shoreline and what was already replacing it. Her ten chapters trace a continuous walk around the island, with each section anchored by specific streets, bridges, and landmarks.

THIS EDITION

Published simultaneously in the US and UK by Thames and Hudson, with design by Liz Trovato. The book includes a detailed three-panel foldout map by Jack Scott on the front pastedown, showing Manhattan and the surrounding boroughs with street-level detail. The black paper-wrapped boards feature copper foil lettering on the spine and front cover. Printed and bound in Hong Kong. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 98-60187.

COVER ART & PHOTOGRAPHY

The front dust jacket features a black-and-white photograph of a waterfront promenade with bare trees and a lamppost, the city skyline visible across the water. The title appears in a dark serif typeface at the top, with the author’s name at the bottom. Inside, Rosen’s high-contrast monochrome photographs range from dramatic night scenes — silhouetted figures passing through the arched stone openings of the Henry Hudson Parkway near 84th Street — to quiet winter landscapes of snowdrifts against the Olmsted stonework along Riverside Drive. The interior spreads pair full-bleed photographs with descriptive captions identifying each specific location.

WHY IT MATTERS

• Rosen’s three-year documentation captures Manhattan’s waterfront during a critical period of urban transformation in the late 1990s
• Thames and Hudson is one of the world’s leading publishers of photography and art books, lending institutional weight to the work
• The foldout map by Jack Scott provides historical cartographic context for each photographed location, making the book useful as both art and reference
• Part of a tradition of New York City photographic surveys alongside photographers like Berenice Abbott, Samuel Gottscho, and Camilo José Vergara

FREQUENTLY ASKED

What edition is this? First American Edition, 1998. First published simultaneously in the US and UK by Thames and Hudson.

What condition is it in? Near Fine book and Near Fine dust jacket — full report below.

Is the dust jacket included? Yes, unclipped with the original $35.00 price intact on the front flap.

FOR COLLECTORS

Thames and Hudson photography titles from this era have a dedicated collector base, and the three-panel foldout map is a distinctive production feature that sets this apart from standard photography monographs. The Near Fine condition of both book and jacket, with the foldout map still crisp and uncreased, makes this an above-average copy.

Manhattan Shores: An Expedition Around the Island’s Edge
A visual and historical record documenting the complete perimeter of Manhattan Island through monochrome photography and detailed narrative text.
Laura Rosen captures the changing waterfront landscapes, historic architectural structures, piers, and public spaces along the shoreline.
This work serves as a reference for New York City urban history and architectural development at the end of the twentieth century.

#### Book Details

• Author: Laura Rosen
• Illustrator: Laura Rosen (Photographs); Map by Jack Scott
• Publisher: Thames and Hudson
• Binding: HARDCOVER
• Edition Points: First American Edition, 1998. Dust jacket original $35.00 price intact on front flap. ISBN 0-500-54221-X. Front pastedown forms a three panel foldout map.

#### Condition Report

• Overall Grade: Book: Near Fine (NF) / Jacket: Near Fine (NF)
• Cover & Spine: Black paper-wrapped boards with bright copper foil spine and front cover lettering. Spine ends are firm and flat with some light surface wear at corners. Back board upper corner is bumped
• Dust Jacket: Unclipped jacket showing has a bit of surface rubbing on the back panel, most apparent at the top edge near the spine.
• Text Block & Pages: Off-white, clean pages displaying high-contrast photographic plates. The fold-out map inside the front cover remains crisp and uncreased. No damage or writing to pages.
• Binding: Square and tight throughout; hinges fully sound.

See accompanying images for full condition details.

Will ship promptly, carefully packaged.

HFB-SEO-v1: 2026-07-28

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