Between 1984 and 1987, photographer Janet Delaney found a unique way to travel from California to New York. She worked as a courier for DHL, accompanying packages on overnight “red-eye” flights. These trips cost her nothing but sleep. She arrived at JFK Airport in the early hours of the morning, exhausted but ready to explore. While most of the city was waking up and rushing to work, Delaney wandered the streets of Manhattan with her camera. The fatigue from the flight gave her a dreamy, detached perspective on the chaotic city.
Shooting from the Hip
Delaney carried a Rolleiflex, a twin-lens camera that hangs around the neck. To take a picture, she looked down into a glass viewfinder on top of the camera rather than holding it up to her eye. This waist-level shooting style made her nearly invisible to the people around her. Pedestrians on the sidewalk did not notice they were being photographed. This allowed her to capture unguarded moments without interrupting the flow of daily life. The square format of the film framed the vertical city in a distinct, balanced way.
Quiet Moments in a Loud City
New York in the 1980s was known for its noise, graffiti, and grittiness. However, Delaney searched for silence amidst the noise. Her photos show a solitary sunbather relaxing near the East River, oblivious to the traffic nearby. In another scene, a man sits alone at a diner counter, focused entirely on his breakfast and newspaper. These images reveal a softer side of the metropolis. They capture the feeling of being alone in a crowd, a sensation familiar to anyone who has lived in a dense urban environment.
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The Morning Routine
Because her flights landed at dawn, many of Delaney’s images feature the specific, golden light of early morning. She documented commuters riding the Staten Island Ferry, their faces soft with sleep. One photograph shows a woman resting her head on a car, catching a quick nap before the day begins. Another captures the steam rising from the streets as the sun hits the cold pavement. These scenes highlight the transition from the quiet of night to the bustle of the workday.
Artists and Workers
The streets of SoHo and the Lower East Side appear frequently in her work. In 1984, she photographed a “plein air” painter set up on a dirty sidewalk. He painted a romantic version of the street on his canvas, ignoring the trash and delivery trucks right in front of him. Other images focus on the working class. A man pushes a massive stack of cardboard down the middle of the road. Construction workers pause near the rising steel skeletons of new buildings. Delaney, who came from a family of laborers, treated these subjects with dignity and attention.
A City in Transition
The architecture in Delaney’s photos tells the story of a changing New York. One striking image features the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center looming over a parked delivery truck. In the foreground of other shots, the red brick of older tenements contrasts with modern glass skyscrapers. The subway stations appear worn and covered in signs, yet the commuters waiting on the platforms stand with patience. These physical details preserve the texture of the city before the major gentrification of the following decades changed the skyline forever.
