New York/Helen Levitt

From the book Helen Levitt published by powerHouse Books

A lot has been written in the past week since Helen Levitt passed away at the age of 95. I have just a few comments and an anecdote.

Helen Levitt was the quintessential street photographer. Her work was lyrical, joyful, even as she focused on New York's poorest neighborhoods. Her streets were filled with people and activity--above all children who grew up outdoors in the city--no longer the case today. Her work exhibited both affection for picture making and for humanity seen without sentimentality or condescension. And while she sought candid moments in the street, her subjects, while momentarily exposed, were not unduly robbed of dignity.

When I began photographing the Lower East Side in 1980, I was well aware of Helen Levitt, and knew that she had often prowled the streets of the neighborhood. One day, while walking somewhere in the vicinity of Orchard Street, or perhaps Ludlow, I saw a small, older woman in a mousy gray raincoat taking pictures. She wore a hat. She moved slowly, but cat-like. She carried a Leica. It was Helen Levitt.