| Having photographed the Brooklyn Bridge for its Centennial, Joel felt compelled to participate in the Centennial Celebration of the Statue of Liberty and also the renovation of Ellis Island. His contribution, in the photographs shown on this page, demanded a rigorous physical regime. Every day for an entire month he would take the first ferry boat that left from Manhattan to the Island, and he would photograph until he was forced to leave in time for the last ferry back. He would process the film shot that day every night, and begin the same routine again the following morning. His sense of urgency was in response to the knowlege that the imminent restoration of Ellis Island might remove a sense of history, which is captured so well in the following images. You are invited to look through them, and you can also see five of his 4'x 5' photographic murals included in the permanent exhibition, "Silent Voices," on view in the 3rd floor gallery of the Ellis Island Museum. |
