A Dissertation on my Times Square photo

I received an email recently from a very nice gal named Nadia Sobehar that has written an entire dissertation on my Times Square photo while at Washington University. She has certainly put a lot of work and thought into it - enough for a 15-page paper! I have pasted it in its entirety below along with the photo that inspired it.

Behind the Facade: A Glimpse of the Real Times Square

An eerie, incandescent skyline. Bright lights, bold billboards. A flashy New York comes into view, each piece consumed individually by the eyes of the beholder. The glamorized Times Square portrayed by Trey Ratcliff is truly a picture worth a thousand words. In this compelling photograph, a vast array of color defines Times Square as a picturesque “city of lights,” where motion and light come together in harmony. Portrayed in a positive light, Times Square is captured through the perspective of a tourist: the bright lights and allure of New York City create an enchanting vision. From color to movement, energy radiates out of the photograph, emitting a dreamlike glow. This glow, this glamour, is the essence of “Times Square.” Intertwined with society, the billboards and commercialization contribute to the feeling of splendor. Ratcliff’s depiction of Times Square showcases Times Square’s glamour in all of its commercialization; however, Ratcliff’s awed perspective indicates a stronger connection between Times Square and its allure, a force that causes society to see the city square as a fantasy.

In “Times Square,” Ratcliff hints at a relationship between society and the media; this relationship questions the role of glamour in creating the Times Square image. Everything from the flashy advertisements to the eerie sky is in sync – picture perfect – except for the mass of people, who seem overwhelmed by the grandiosity of their surroundings. While the human eye normally fixates on the in-focus portions of a photograph, this is not true of “Times Square.” As a result of the bright distractions and movement, the eye instantaneously jumps to the billboards, the bright lights, and nearly avoids looking at the object in focus: the crowd of people. Complicating the suggestion that society has a relationship with the media, the article, “Recreating the City as Entertainment Center: The Media Industry’s Role in Transforming Potsdamer Platz and Times Square,” contrasts Ratcliff’s portrayal by indicating that it is not a negative relationship. Rebutting Ratcliff’s portrayal of the media as an encumbering force, Roost claims that there is a mutual relationship between the media industry and the Times Square community; in fact, the media industry is necessary and beneficial to the New York City community (Roost). Roost explains how the media is vital for the economic well-being of New York City, by providing jobs and a mass market, which is an idea that contradicts the photograph’s negative implications; it indicates that the media is actually helping society. Roost further establishes the media-Times Square connection acknowledged by Ratcliff by saying that the two complement each other for economic survival. While the media industry provides employment and economic progress, Times Square acts as the perfect center for the media industry, “[a] strategic [site] for these industries,” a place for it to truly prosper (Roost 3). He also introduces the role of society in this relationship: the community serves the media by acting as a consumer of its products (5). Roost’s article qualifies the relationship between Times Square and society, which is necessary to understand the photograph’s cultural context. This relationship between society and the media industry adds the modern premise for the Times Square-glamour relationship but says nothing of the historical context.

Roost’s article tells how the restructuring of Times Square by the media industry created the bright lights and visual appeal of Times Square. He does not, however, provide an alternative view of Times Square: would it be as appealing without the media industry’s restoration? Would society be as mesmerized by Times Square if it were not a hub of commercialization? Roost lacks the information to prove that the glamour of Times Square is solely the creation of the media industry; his limitations crave historical information and more explanation to an endless array of questions: what came before the restructuring and commercialization? Is Times Square’s prestigious reputation a result of media’s restoration? What helped build Times Square’s reputation? And where did the glamour come from? What is behind the Times Square façade? Which influences can be attributed to its renowned fame? Although Roost explores a source of influence on Times Square, Ratcliff’s image evokes a sentiment deeper than artificiality, an unexplained glamour that, according to Gundle and Castelli, is meant to attract, entice. This historical glamour is the real reason society is enthralled by Times Square; it is the mystery behind the Mona Lisa smile.

Historical Times Square and the Birth of Glamour

Before the glamour came the history. Times Square’s historical background developed its reputation over time, helping the city and the area gain the popularity it cherishes today. For the purpose of argument, Times Square and New York City will be used interchangeably¹, as qualified by Darcy Tell: “For many Americans over the past century, these few blocks, though they contain no official buildings, have been the unofficial center not only of New York City, but of the whole United States… It is where Americans and visitors go to find excitement and fun and spectacle, and it is also where for more than a hundred years big business and blockbuster shows have celebrated themselves through giant displays of light and color” (viii). This quote illustrates the reputation of Times Square as an American icon, one that dates back to the start of the 20th century. The historical context of Times Square is important to understand because it explains the origin of Times Square glamour and the birth of commercialization.

Even in 1904, “the bright lights appeared to loom over pedestrians and made a fantastic show of moving light forms” (Tell 43); this complements Ratcliff’s portrayal of Times Square. After 1910, Times Square became the hub for nighttime spectaculars, many of them aimed at adult audiences and contributed to the image of Times Square as a social escape (Tell 61). The 1920s engulfed Times Square in an era of commercialization: “…many corners around the square were covered with billboards in tiers of three or four boards, which were placed in floodlighted frames and topped with amazing spectaculars” (Tell 75). Although today they are technologically advanced, billboards are not a result of the current media’s commercialization; mass commercialization of Times Square dates back to the beginning of the century. This is significant in contrasting Roost’s portrayal of the 1990s commercialization of Times Square as a modern trend. Pomerance contributes to Tell’s trip down memory lane: “Take Times Square, for example. It was a place where, Marshall Berman remembers, “we would go down to the Paramount and the Palace theatres and Lindy’s and Tofinetti’s restaurants and the lobby and café of the Astor Hotel. Afterwards, we would hang around the streets and check out the people and the signs… All those places and spaces were magical” (7). Times Square also held historical significance as a place of escape and energy; its bright lights and cheerfulness lifted morale after World War I and into the Depression (Tell 92). Even after the hard times of the Depression, Times Square preserved its renowned qualities, but changes were necessary along the way.

As recounted by Tell, several plans for the restructuring of Times Square were underway in the 1960s and onwards. Although the current configuration of the area is the result of the media industry, this shows that Times Square was always under development, and that its current restructuring has not given it the reputation of Times Square as we know it; rather, Times Square has been continually evolving with the times, keeping its personality while updating its façade. As Muschamp - a former director of the graduate program in architecture design criticism at Parsons - describes, “Times Square is more than a place. It is a social contract written in form, color, light, rhythm, space and time. Periodically, the contract needs to be rewritten.” In the long run, the most recent restructuring, the one referenced in Roost’s article, did clean up Times Square, which was overrun with adult entertainment and danger. Although this restructuring did not create the fame behind the Times Square name, it did help bring back the glory of days past. Adding to this concept, Tell reminisces, “Even if the modern signs lack the antiquarian interest of their forebears, Times Square’s new, endlessly photogenic signscape conjures up all the visual excitement and energy of the earlier incandescent and neon spectaculars” (161). This reminiscent perspective of Times Square is largely attributable to its reputation.

The Times Square Image

Among Times Square’s traits is a sense of excitement and a revered reputation. In fact, these two elements are largely responsible for society’s affection toward the city square. Charney and Schwartz comment on the excitement of city life in saying, “Amid the unprecedented turbulence of the big city’s traffic, noise, billboards, street signs, jostling crowds, window displays, and advertisements, the individual faced a new intensity of sensory stimulation. The metropolis subjected the individual to a barrage of impressions, shocks, and jolts… Modernity, in short, was conceived of as a barrage of stimuli” (73). Their explanations of city appeal can be applied to New York City back in the day; the constant motion, brightness, and intensity of city life made it an exciting escape from everyday routines for most visitors (Charney and Schwartz 92-3). This movement is also visible in “Times Square,” which reflects constant movement and energy. The excitement of city life mentioned by Charney and Schwartz evolved Times Square’s reputation, making it a city of dreams. Historian Jenkins remarks on the reputation of Times Square, writing, “The side streets contiguous to Times Square are also devoted to restaurants and theatres. The celebration of New Year’s Eve in this neighborhood has become, so it is stated in the daily papers and those who have been present, a grand orgy after midnight, putting to blush the wildest capers of the Moulin Rouge, Maxim’s, and other notorious places in Paris” (269). This reputation, as observed, originated long ago, and is not the result of a sole influence. Rather, through time, Times Square evolved, and in doing so, strengthened its infamous reputation. As with all great ideas and images, mass distribution was necessary to spread the word of Times Square and its reputation. The dispersion of the Times Square image helped make it famous.

Whereas other cities boast historical assets, New York City does not have ancient ruins or centuries-old buildings. However, it does have, as Tell classifies it, Times Square, the “iconic image.” In agreement, Pomerance adds, “While as a real city – however one might define its urbanity – New York might not be particularly distinctive, as the basis and inspiration for the cinematic city it is of the greatest importance” (229). Tell illustrates Times Square’s luminous beginnings – the billboards and bright lights helped develop Times Square’s picturesque façade – and how media attention was responsible for wide spread publicity and shortly, worldwide fame. “Pictures of the lighted square were almost as good as the real thing. Sellers of products and services, from beauty goods to cards, cigarettes, shoes, floor shows, vaudeville, and cocktails, were soon using the exciting pictures of nightscape to promote their businesses. These images of Times Square helped make the place famous in its own right” (Tell 41). The dispersion of this “ideal” Times Square has influenced society tremendously. Because we, as members of society, associate these past images with Times Square, we long to see it as the exciting dream it’s played out to be. Along the way, the media industry influences our perception as well. Now that the historical reputation of Times Square is realized, the media’s influence on society can be better understood, since the media is the channel through which Times Square and its fame spread through society.

Additional Influences – From Cinema to Pop Culture

With Times Square established as the picturesque New York, the media industry continued bombarding society with reasons to love the city square. The intensity of the media industry’s grasp on society can be seen through many aspects, especially entertainment. As stated by Ross, “Never before in the history of civilization has there been felt such a need for what is known as entertainment”(93); this quote explains society’s desire for entertainment, leading into the reasons why perception is affected by the media. This is where the movie industry came in to make an impact on society. Cinema was extremely popular at the beginning of the 20th century (Forsher); not only did movies offer a view of the world, but they acted as an influence as well. Ross would agree: “Movies are also more than just images on the screen. They are part of the social glue of American life” (2). He goes on to state how “Unlike a book…a movie ‘sinks into the consciousness without turning the page’” (1). Furthermore, he demonstrates the intensity of cinema’s influence on society: “Fears of the effects of movies were accompanied by a belief that movies were unusually effective in “implanting” – a word often used at the time – ideas in children’s minds” (27). The effect of movies on social perspective is important because it demonstrates how cinema was responsible for presenting society with a biased image of New York City.

Addressing the idea that Times Square’s reputation is strongly connected to its cinematic and historical background, Pomerance adds, “New York onscreen is New York… And it is true that for lovers of this screened New York, we travel from it to the city and not the other way around” (3). His claims show society’s image of New York is strongly associated with cinematic influences, that perception is affected by movies and the entertainment industry. Whereas Gundle and Castelli would argue that glamour - in this application it regards cinematic glamour – is deceptive in nature, Pomerance would refute with: “Images do not have to be factual in order to summon a taste of experience” (4). And it is this “taste of experience” that causes society to see New York as a cinematic dream, even if it is aware that the real New York is not, in fact, as picturesque as movies make it out to be. Whether or not they are reasonable, society’s expectations, based on cinematic influences, influence society’s vision of New York as a fantasy, simply because society chooses to see New York this way. Through an analysis of New York City’s presence in various films, Pomerance asserts NYC’s long established cinematic fame. It is this cinematic fame, along with historical image and current commercialization, that has developed society’s perception of Times Square.

As a result of historical and cinematic influences, society often associates Times Square with allure, mystery, and excitement. The extent to which media and history affect society’s perception of Times Square can be seen in O’Brien’s book, The Times Square Story, which tells the adventurous tales of the protagonist during New York’s cinematic 50s and 60s. It is written in the essence of New York at the time, mixed with myths, old photographs, and pop culture references to give the picture of “an adventure in New York City” in the postwar era. Emphasizing the enticing atmosphere of Times Square – “every kind of noise and spectacle, neon, high heels, lipstick, taxicabs, quick stabs, the giant cigarette blowing smoke through the billboard, the electronic wraparound headlines where isolated words swim around the bend” - O’Brien shows the intense imagery associated with Times Square. This association influences the perception of society, which continues to see Times Square in its former glory, as a place of excitement, nightlife, and glamour. O’Brien’s exciting story also brings to light media’s role in creating this glamour, from the entertainment industry and movies to pop culture in the form of advertisements and nightlife. O’Brien’s description of the protagonist’s first encounter with New York, “… he sees Times Square all lit up and he’s weak in the knees, in tears almost, a sudden uncontrollable response, it’s like church, this is where reality begins,” can be paralleled to that of a tourist’s first visit to the city. As described by Pomerance, “For the tourist, each moment in New York is, at least potentially, a sparkling treasure, an immensity of experience” (11). From the bright lights to the energy, Times Square can be overwhelming at first. Whether a result of expectations (created by media’s influence) or a response to the chaos of the area, this reaction to Times Square is commonplace and maintains the glamorized perception of Times Square, as depicted in pop culture.

Ratcliff: The Influenced Photographer

As member of society, Ratcliff is affected by these influences as much as the next person. Captured through the perspective of a tourist, “Times Square” shows the awed reaction of society to the city square. It is clear through his depiction that Ratcliff sees Times Square as a glamorous dream, a place straight out of the movies, a place admired by society. Elaborating on this concept, Ratcliff admits his portrayal is the result of an influenced mindset: that of a tourist. He has commented on “Times Square” in his blog, saying “Times Square is one of the most photographed places in the world. I usually try not to do the touristy thing, but hey, it’s Times Square.” Ratcliff’s choice to portray Times Square in all of its glamour can be paralleled to Pomerance’s description of Woody Allen’s treatment of films. “Woody Allen’s Manhattan isn’t a grimy urban jungle. It’s the most photogenic city on earth, boasting buildings and trees that even Paris would die for” (Pomerance 65). Likewise, Ratcliff chose to portray Times Square in all its glory, instead of concentrating on the filth or everyday mediocrity of the place. Although they may be affected by influences (historical and cinematic influences that society is largely unaware it is affected by), his choices are conscious ones.

“Times Square” was created by “taking either one image or a series of images, combining them, and adjusting the contrast ratios” (“Stuck In Customs”). In other words, Ratcliff engineered this photograph to look exactly as he wanted it to. He has expressed that “[he’s] a huge defender and believer of utilizing HDR as a technique for processing photos because [he] think[s] it helps to evoke [his] actual memory of the scene”; this further emphasizes how his perspective is really ingrained into the photograph, and that the picture wasn’t just captured by chance. His purpose, in fact, was to capture an “original” shot because the viewer can “see how much more interesting and engaging it is” (“Stuck In Customs”). His choices in making the photograph allow for his influences to be seen through his work.

Aware of media’s influences and society’s expectations, Ratcliff’s photograph takes a new form: many of the influences that sway the public are reflected in “Times Square.” From artistic elements to photographic content, many aspects referenced by aforementioned sources can be witnessed in “Times Square.” In the spirit of O’Brien’s adventure tales, the mystery and glamour of Times Square are revealed in the enigmatic blue sky. Professors Gundle and Castelli add another perspective to the sky, explaining that “blue suggests enigma, mystery and absence… [it gives] connotations of depth and mystery” (135-6). This mystery is attributable to the historical image of Times Square as a place of excitement. On a more explicit level, several images captured represent American media culture; these include references to: basketball (a popular sport), television, materialism (in the form of corporations including JVC and Chevrolet), entertainment, and fame. These images, however, are initially seen in their brightness and commotion, but their real purpose – commercialization – is secondary to their visual enchantment. Here Gundle and Castelli offer an explanation: “Indeed deception is the primary purpose of the material culture of glamour. To this end it is highly seductive; it speaks primarily to the eyes, aiming through spectacle to dazzle and enchant with the goal of concealing the mundane and the commercial” (85). Furthermore, quoting Christopher Prendergast, Gundle and Castelli say, “The lights of the city are linked to the lure of the city, the beckoning signs of what is deceptively promised by the new and fast-growing leisure and pleasure culture” (149). Although he is referring to Paris, this quote can also be applied to Times Square, where Ratcliff demonstrates the lure created by the brightness; this lure is one of the associations society makes between the Times Square of today and the one of past decades and film culture.

In this portrayal of Times Square, Ratcliff, perhaps unknowingly, reflects past influences. He creates the image of a glamorous escape from reality without demonstrating that he is aware of Times Square’s historical associations and media’s influences. While he may be supporting influences unintentionally, Ratcliff did choose the artistic elements of “Times Square,” as stated in his blog. “By eclectically assembling beautiful faraway motifs, the unfamiliar and the past into a chaotic but desirable mélange, designers and image-makes created one of the most potent vehicles of escape from humdrum realities” (Gundle and Castelli 86). Gundle and Castelli’s comment can be applied to Ratcliff; though not “unfamiliar,” he chose to represent the reputation and glamour of Times Square through a selective process. This process makes Times Square appear as an escape, as society is likely to see it. Ratcliff, like the older photographers and advertisers who spread the Times Square image, is continuing the cycle of promoting Times Square and building its reputation for future generations. His selectively engineered depiction of Times Square emphasizes the strength of influences on perspective, which leads one to wonder what Times Square would look like without a biased perspective.

The Experiment: Testing the Strength of Influences on Perspective.

As has been determined, “Times Square” is the result of an intentional design. Ratcliff may not realize he is influenced by Times Square’s historical allure and cinematic influences. Regardless, his image conveys these influences in the perspective from which it was taken. In order to measure the effect of these influences on perspective, I decided to perform a simple experiment of photographic perception. Aware of cultural influences, I removed myself from the societal expectations of Times Square in order to capture it in a light removed of all glamour. I chose to portray the “real” New York City, a city like many others save for its renowned reputation. The result of this experiment is a very different set of photographs² from that of Ratcliff. In the first photograph, dirtiness and daily life are the first things visible: smoke fills the air and the streets are grimy and worn down. Unlike “Times Square,” there is no constant movement, energy, or enchanting allure. The second photograph provides a deeper contrast: it portrays people as living unencumbered, unaffected by the commercialization around them. Whereas “Times Square” buries the people under the brightness of the billboards, my second photograph depicts people as not absorbed into the background and living life normally, unaware of their surroundings. Neither of my photographs captures the magical qualities purposely created by Ratcliff under the media’s influences. This goes to show how simple perspective can change an image, and how things that influence the photographer can leak through an image to make a statement of their own. Furthermore, this experiment demonstrates the intensity of media’s influences on society, especially through the strong contrast between my images, which are removed from these influences, and Ratcliff’s “Times Square,” which was captured through the eyes of a tourist, who may possess biased anticipation of Times Square.

As we have observed, perspective can influence the portrayal of a place. Perspective can be influenced by history, cinematic influences, and societal expectations. Ratcliff’s image of Times Square demonstrates how the artist, affected by the same influences that sway society, captures a photograph that reflects these influences. Just as these influences have potentially influenced him, he continues to affect the perspective of others. “Times Square” completes the circle of influence by influencing future generations who admire the photograph. Through its magical elements and enticing enchantment, “Times Square” casts Times Square as a glamorous place to visit. Having seen the photograph, many visitors may see Times Square as the dream captured by Ratcliff. And so it goes: he who was influenced continues to influence even more people. “Times Square” continues the cycle, impressing future generations of society and tourism.

Conclusion

As the eye looks beyond the foreground, the city recedes into darkness beyond the mystical sky. Ratcliff shows that there is nothing beyond the here and now: Times Square really is a dream, whether or not we acknowledge entertainment’s influences. To emphasize the impact of Times Square, O’Brien writes about his protagonist, “…he’s alone, he’s in Times Square, the frame freezes, he’s there, we’re with him, alone in Times Square forever.” It seems that O’Brien, Ratcliff, and much of society shares this dramatic image of Times Square as a fantasy. In reality, this appeal is a creation of multiple influences on the mind of society; the relationship between society, Times Square and allure is deeply intertwined. Times Square’s glamour isn’t just a result of the 1990s commercialization; rather it is also a result of decades of movie influences and historical reputation. In the end, all these influences and their effect on society can be perceived in Ratcliff’s photograph, “Times Square.” Perhaps society’s expectations have been built up through these influences in order to make us, as members of society, see Times Square as we do today. On the other hand, it has been revealed that Times Square can be perceived as a regular city, if viewed through a lens removed from such influences. At the end of the day, it remains a question of how society wants to perceive the city square: as a glamorous fantasy or an ordinary place? Is Times Square truly an escape for the mind or a home for its inhabitants? Regardless what society may choose to see, one thing is certain: for as long as his photograph remains, Ratcliff will keep engaging the dream for his viewers, continuing the Times Square illusion.

Notes:

¹ The purpose of equating Times Square to New York City is that the reputation of one is difficult to separate from the other, and several sources’ comments on one can easily be applied to the other. As New York City is the body, Times Square is the heart; neither can live without the other.

²See attached photographs.

Works Cited

Charney, Leo, and Vanessa R. Schwartz, eds. Cinema and the Invention of Modern Life.

Berkeley: University of California Press, 1995.

Forsher, James. The Community of Cinema. Westport: Praeger, 2003.

Gundle, Stephen, and Clino T. Castelli. The Glamour System. New York: Palgrave Macmillan,

2006.

Jenkins, Stephen. The Greatest Street in the World. New York: The Knickerbocker Press, 1912.

Muschamp, Herbert. “Time to Reset the Clock in Times Square.” The New York Times 1 Nov.

1992, Late Edition: 2: 1.

O’Brien, Geoffrey. The Times Square Story. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1998.

Pomerance, Murray, ed. City That Never Sleeps. Piscataway: Rutgers University Press, 2007.

Photograph 1. Personal photograph by author. 11 Mar. 2008.

Photograph 2. Personal photograph by author. 11 Mar. 2008.

Ratcliff, Trey. Times Square. 2007. .

Roost, Frank. “Recreating the City as Entertainment Center: The Media Industry’s Role in

Transforming Potsdamer Platz and Times Square.” Journal of Urban Technology 5.3 (1998): 1-21.

Ross, Steven J. Movies and American Society. Ed. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers Ltd, 2002.

Stuck In Customs. Ed. Trey Ratcliff. 18 Mar. 2008 .

Tell, Darcy. Times Square Spectacular: Lighting Up Broadway. New York: HarperCollins

Publishers, 2007.