Firehouse No.52, Riverdale Avenue, 245th Street, Bronx, 1937

The façade of a Bronx firehouse stands out, isolated within the picture’s frame. In the absence of any human activity, it is as much a silent archival image as a winter cityscape.

American photographer Berenice Abbott took this picture as part of her vast project "Changing New York", which she continuously worked on from 1935 to 1939 under the aegis of the Federal Art Project. Her aim was to make the most complete physical and social portrait possible of the city. To do that, she ventured into different neighbourhoods to photograph, using a documentary and artistic approach, New Yorkers’ daily lives and settings.

Firehouse No. 52, Riverdale Avenue, 245th Street, Bronx, 1937 was first presented by the Pinault Collection at the 2019 "Luogo e Segni" ("Place and Signs") show at the Punta della Dogana in Venice.