City Lights

In the 1930s, Eichenberg became enthralled with recording his observations of downtown New York. As in several of the prints he executed for the WPA, City Lights features the streets of Manhattan teeming with activity. Unlike the Social Realists, Eichenberg was not interested in exposing the destitute conditions of city living during the Great Depression. Instead, he captures the excitement of nightlife, representing musicians, sailors, and glamorous-looking women beneath street signs, marquees, and advertisements that shine brightly against the night sky.