Janet Delaney’s job in the 1980s required her to take last-minute flights to New York City from her home in San Francisco. During her free time in New York City, she’d wander the streets with her Rolleiflex camera and take photos of the people she’d encounter. Now, nearly 40 years later, her photographs are published in her book Red Eye to New York.

The images give us a glimpse of what New York City was like in the 1980s: beautiful, dirty, diverse, brimming with promise and life. Many photos scintillate in early-morning (or late-day) sun, its golden light casting long shadows and conjuring scenes from half-forgotten memories. Magical is not a bad word to use to describe the images, which were taken on 6×6 medium format film.

Spread from Janet Delaney’s “Red Eye to New York”Spread from Janet Delaney’s “Red Eye to New York”Spread from Janet Delaney’s “Red Eye to New York”

Red Eye to New York is also a beautifully-crafted object. The book features a fine cloth cover and a lush paper stock that are rich and irresistible. And the paper stock lends itself well to the full-color images, each one being about 5.5 inches square. But quality is what we’ve come to expect from MACK’s book designer, Morgan Crowcroft-Brown.

Spread from Janet Delaney’s “Red Eye to New York”Spread from Janet Delaney’s “Red Eye to New York”Spread from Janet Delaney’s “Red Eye to New York”

About Janet Delaney’s Red Eye to New York

  • Pages: 104
  • Photographs: 70
  • Edition Info: Unknown; First run sold-out
  • Locations: New York City
  • Book Dimensions: 21cm x 25cm
  • Publication Date: 2021
  • Publisher: MACK
  • Additional Notes: Full-color images; Contains an essay by Amanda Maddox; Burgundy cloth hardcover; Tip-in sticker; Made in Italy; Signed plate glued to inside back cover; Gold foil debossed title information on spine and back; Designed by the photographer and Morgan Crowcroft-Brown
  • Price: $50
  • Where to Buy: MACK