BROADWAY TO THE BATTERY
MAY 4, 1938. ABBOTT FILE L-6
WALL STREET DISTRICT
MAY 4, 1938. ABBOTT FILE L-5
Two months after photographing One Wall Street from Trinity Church courtyard, Abbott ascended to the roof of this 55-story building to take bird's-eye views of the financial district. A parapet wall surrounding the roof compelled her to use a hand-held camera. Even without the compositional freedom afforded by a large view camera, Abbott was able to coax the geometric forms of downtown's skyscrapers into powerful abstractions. Six exposures from three viewpoints were included in the project, and two were published in Changing New York.
In Broadway to the Battery, the foreground (right) is dominated by the Adams Building, which loomed over Abbott in Canyon: Broadway and Exchange Place. At the foot of Broadway is Battery Park (left); rising from the waterfront on West Street is the Whitehall Building (right; see Battery, Foot of West Street); and in the distance is the Statue of Liberty. Abbott had anticipated the arrival of the oceanliner Ile de France in the composition (McQuaid, 396).
Three other negatives show views down Wall Street toward the East River. In the first (Wall Street District), Abbott's camera points almost straight down, showing the stepped pyramid top of Bankers Trust Company (1912) at 16 Wall Street, the low roof of the New York Stock Exchange (1903) at 8 Broad Street, and the steps and roof of the U.S. Sub-Treasury (1842, now Federal Hall National Memorial) at Wall and Broad Streets. The two other views (Wall Street District and Wall Street Showing East River) show the full length of Wall Street to the East River.
The shape of the Bankers Trust pyramid top fortuitously rhymes with the stepped tower of 120 Wall Street at water's edge. The tower between them, usually recognized by its own copper pyramid top, is the Bank of the Manhattan Company (1929) at 40 Wall Street.
The last two negatives taken from the roof of One Wall Street (Waterfront From Roof...and Financial District...) look over Broad Street toward the East River. The two copper domes (bottom center) belong to 20-22 Broad Street, a turn-of-the-century office building. Framing a view of the piers are the Equitable Trust Company (1928) at 15 Broad Street (left) and the Continental Bank & Trust Company (1932) at 30 Broad Street (right). Toward the river, the Third Avenue El snakes around Coenties Slip; beyond are Piers 11 and 12, where Abbott photographed extensively.
All the skyscrapers in these views still stand, but they are crowded and sometimes blocked by newer arrivals. It was the now lost height discrepancies that assured the aesthetic success of Abbott's rooftop series.