James And Karla Murray

Like thousands of small businesses, one of New York City's oldest family-run establishments is struggling to survive because of the coronavirus pandemic. Irish bar Peter McManus Cafe, located at 152 Seventh Avenue in Chelsea, has been serving pints of Guinness and their famous burgers since 1936. While the McManus family, who has continuously owned the bar for four generations, has seen their fair share of challenges in its 84 years, COVID-19 has made it increasingly difficult to stay in business.
More details this way

Help save the historic neon sign at the Bronx’s 64-year-old Palomba Academy of Music

Photo © James and Karla Murray

September 21, 2020

Help save the historic neon sign at the Bronx’s 64-year-old Palomba Academy of Music

Palomba Academy of Music has been teaching music lessons from its storefront in the Williamsbridge section of the Bronx for 64 years, but they've sadly had to close due to COVID-19. However, there's a piece of this business that photographers James and Karla Murray hope to preserve. They are working with iconic NYC neon shop Let There Be Neon to remove Palomba's historic, 25-foot neon sign and have it relocated to the American Sign Museum in Cincinatti, Ohio. But they need your help...
Here's how you can contribute

City Living

These videos show the empty streets of NYC during coronavirus shutdown

Photo of Grand Central on Saturday, April 4 © James and Karla Murray

April 13, 2020

These videos show the empty streets of NYC during coronavirus shutdown

Photographers James and Karla Murray have made their mark with their famous "Store Front" books, where they photograph mom-and-pop shops and restaurants around New York City and interview their owners. But these businesses, those which are very often the heart and soul of a neighborhood, are being hit especially hard by the current crisis. James and Karla, who are also husband and wife, have been continuing to highlight places offering delivery and takeout and those providing food to healthcare workers. They've also been filming the walks they're taking with their dog Hudson that show just how empty the city has become. Ahead, take tours of a deserted Times Square, Grand Central, Greenwich Village, and the East Village on a typically busy Saturday night.
Watch the videos

City Living

New exhibit from photographers James and Karla Murray celebrates mom-and-pop storefronts of NYC

Photo © James and Karla Murray

September 9, 2019

New exhibit from photographers James and Karla Murray celebrates mom-and-pop storefronts of NYC

A free photography exhibition highlighting mom-and-pop shops of New York City opens in the East Village next week. Photographers and award-winning authors James and Karla Murray hosted two workshops earlier this year on using photography and oral history to "raise public awareness, build community, and encourage advocacy." The free exhibition, "Capturing the Faces & Voices of Mom-And-Pop Storefronts," shows off the photos and interviews from the workshop's participants, as well as large-scale photos of now-shuttered East Village shops, taken by James and Karla.
More here

Events & Things To Do

VIDEO: Take a tour of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty’s new museum

Photo of the Immigrant Museum at Ellis Island; Photo © James and Karla Murray

May 17, 2019

VIDEO: Take a tour of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty’s new museum

As part of a new video series, photographers and longtime New Yorkers James and Karla Murray take us on a tour of one of the few NYC sites they have never visited: Liberty Island. During a press visit with 6sqft last week, the duo toured and documented the recently opened Statue of Liberty Museum, taking in the interactive galleries, views of Lady Liberty, and the statue's original torch. And as part of a preview with Untapped Cities, James and Karla got a behind-the-scenes look at the abandoned Ellis Island hospital as well as its Immigration Museum. Ahead, ride the Statue Cruises ferry with them from Bowling Green to Liberty and Ellis Islands, taking in all of the historic sites along the way.
See the video

Events & Things To Do

Historic Districts Council to host symposium on immigrant-run businesses in NYC

Via Flickr

May 8, 2019

Historic Districts Council to host symposium on immigrant-run businesses in NYC

Nearly half of New York City's 220,000 small businesses are owned by immigrants. To celebrate this community, the Historic Districts Council is hosting an event this weekend that highlights immigrant-run businesses in New York City. Taking place at the Bohemian National Hall on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., the symposium will discuss the ins and outs of running a business in a city that is constantly changing.
Learn more

Events & Things To Do

Explore ‘faces and voices’ of Manhattan storefronts with new exhibit from James and Karla Murray

Photos © James and Karla Murray

July 27, 2018

Explore ‘faces and voices’ of Manhattan storefronts with new exhibit from James and Karla Murray

Whether it's their photography from our My Sqft series, images from their best-selling Storefront books or their most recent "Mom-and-Pops" life-size installation in Seward Park, chances are you've already admired the work of Karla and James Murray. And now there's an opportunity to further appreciate their work and the work of those they have mentored. Earlier this year, James and Karla hosted two, two-session workshops, which taught the art of capturing New York City storefronts. Starting August 1, the workshop's participants will show off their photos at the Jefferson Market Library's Little Underground Gallery. Celebrate with them during a free opening reception for the exhibit next Friday, August 3 from 5 pm to 7 pm.
Learn more about the event

Events & Things To Do

July 20, 2018

See photos from Karla and James Murray’s ‘Storefront’ project on NYC’s mom and pop stores

By Michelle Cohen

6sqft has been closely following the progress of photographers James and Karla Murray‘s Seward Park art installation “Mom-and-Pops of the LES,” featuring four nearly life-size images of Lower East Side business that have mostly disappeared. The pair, who have spent the last decade chronicling the place of small neighborhood businesses in 21st century New York City, was chosen for the public art project by Art in the Parks UNIQLO Park Expressions Grant Program and ran a wildly successful Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for the wood-frame structure’s build out. James and Karla will be having a free public exhibition of their photography for "Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York" at The Storefront Project (@thestorefrontproject) at 70 Orchard Street from July 25-August 12, 2018, with an opening reception on Wednesday, July 25th from 6-9 PM.
Find out more about this cool project

Events & Things To Do

VIDEO: See ‘Mom-and-Pops of the Lower East Side’ sculpture being installed in Seward Park

Video © Michael Ursone Films

June 27, 2018

VIDEO: See ‘Mom-and-Pops of the Lower East Side’ sculpture being installed in Seward Park

6sqft has been excitedly following the progress of photographers James and Karla Murray's Seward Park art installation "Mom-and-Pops of the LES," from the announcement that they'd been chosen through the Art in the Parks UNIQLO Park Expressions Grant Program to their wildly successful Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for the wood-frame structure's build out. And now the piece, featuring four nearly life-size images of Lower East Side business that have mostly disappeared, is finally complete. James and Karla shared with 6sqft an exclusive time-lapse video of the installation process and chatted with us about why they chose these particular storefronts, what the build-out was like, and how they hope New Yorkers will learn from their message.
Watch the video and hear from James and Karla

Events & Things To Do

Help bring this sculpture of lost Lower East Side mom-and-pops to Seward Park

After publishing their first account of small businesses in NYC a decade ago with their seminal book “Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York,” photographers James and Karla Murray are now ready to bring their work back to the street. As 6sqft previously reported, "the husband-and-wife team has designed an art installation for Seward Park, a wood-frame structure that will feature four nearly life-size images of Lower East Side business that have mostly disappeared--a bodega, a coffee shop/luncheonette (the recently lost Cup & Saucer), a deli (Katz's), and a newsstand (Chung’s Candy & Soda Stand). Though the installation is part of the Art in the Parks UNIQLO Park Expressions Grant Program, there are still high costs associated with materials, fabrication, and installation, so James and Karla have launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise the additional funds.
More details

Events & Things To Do

‘Store Front’ artists to host free photography and oral history workshops about mom-and-pops

Photos © James and Karla Murray

March 16, 2018

‘Store Front’ artists to host free photography and oral history workshops about mom-and-pops

Since publishing “Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York,” a photo documentation of iconic mom-and-pops, 10 years ago, photographers James and Karla Murray have become household names around NYC. And they now are letting New Yorkers in on their tricks of the trade in an upcoming two-part workshop in partnership with the Neighborhood Preservation Center. "Capturing the Faces and Voices of Manhattan's Neighborhood Storefronts" is a "photography and oral history workshop of the cultural significance of mom-and-pop stores and the impact they have on the pulse, life, and texture of their communities." Participants will not only learn photography skills but how to record oral histories and use these tools for "public awareness and advocacy."
All the details

Events & Things To Do

February 28, 2018

Local artists will bring 10 public art installations to NYC parks this summer

New York City's parks department will bring art installations to 10 designated parks across the five boroughs this June. As part of "Art in the Parks: UNIQLO Park Expressions Grant Exhibit," public art will be displayed in parks that currently lack cultural programming. Japanese clothing company UNIQLO, as the initiative's sponsor, will give grants worth $10,000 to 10 emerging artists for the installations. The city's Art in the Parks program began in 1967 and is responsible for bringing over 2,000 public pieces of art to the city's parks.
Details this way

Events & Things To Do

February 27, 2018

‘Store Front’ photographers plan a life-size memorial to lost Lower East Side mom-and-pops

Photographers James and Karla Murray published their first account of small businesses in NYC a decade ago with their seminal book “Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York,” which captured hundreds of mom-and-pops and their iconic facades, many of them since shuttered, along with interviews with the business owners. They've since published two follow-ups, "New York Nights" and "Store Front II-A History Preserved," winning countless awards and gaining local and national fame for their documentation of a vanishing retail culture. And this summer, they're bringing their work to a larger scale than ever. The Lo-Down reports that the husband-and-wife team has designed an art installation for Seward Park, a wood-frame structure that will feature four nearly life-size images of Lower East Side business that have disappeared--a bodega, a coffee shop/luncheonette (the recently lost Cup & Saucer), a vintage store, and a newsstand.
More details

Events & Things To Do

December 22, 2017

The Urban Lens: How Temple Court went from an abandoned shell to a romantically restored landmark

In 1883, one of NYC's first skyscrapers opened at the corner of Nassau and Beekman Streets. Known as Temple Court, the nine-story red brick and terra cotta structure was designed in the Queen Anne style by architect James M. Farnworth to attract accountants and lawyers who needed to be close to the city's courthouses. Its most impressive feature was its central atrium that rises the full height and is topped by a large pyramid-shaped skylight and two rooftop turrets. In the 1940s, this romantic atrium was walled in from top to bottom, and by 2001, the last commercial tenant moved out, ultimately sending the building into disrepair, a crumbling shell open to the elements. Plans to restore Temple Court into The Beekman hotel and add an adjacent 51-story condominium tower first surfaced in 2008, but before work got underway in 2012, we were granted the rare opportunity to explore the architectural gem in its eerily beautiful derelict state. And now that guests are filling up the 287 hotel rooms, the main floor is buzzing with restaurants from restaurateurs Tom Colicchio and Keith McNally, and the atrium's skylight and Victorian cast iron railings and ornamentation have been restored, we went back in to document how this one-of-a-kind landmark has been restored.
See the before-and-after photos and learn about our experience

December 2, 2016

The Urban Lens: Inside the Christmas wonderland that is Rolf’s German Restaurant

6sqft’s ongoing series The Urban Lens invites photographers to share work exploring a theme or a place within New York City. In this installment, award-winning photographers James and Karla Murray return with a look inside Rolf's German Restaurant, known for its over-the-top Christmas decorations. Are you a photographer who’d like to see your work featured on The Urban Lens? Get in touch with us at [email protected]. Beginning the last week of September, a six-man team starts the process of adorning Rolf's German Restaurant with 15,000 Christmas ornaments, 10,000 lights, and thousands of icicles. By the first of November, the process of turning this historic Murray Hill restaurant into a holiday wonderland is complete, attracting both locals and tourists who are eager to see the one-of-a-kind display of Victorian-style decorations. We recently paid a visit to Rolf's, capturing everything from dolls found in New England antique shops to 19th century German ball ornaments worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. And we've shared an interview with owner Bob Maisano where he talks about the building's past life as a speakeasy during Prohibition, German history in NYC, and what makes Rolf's a unique holiday destination.
All the photos and the interview with Bob

My 630sqft: Inside ‘Store Front’ photographers Karla & James Murray’s East Village home of 22 years

Our ongoing series “My sqft” checks out the homes of 6sqft’s friends and fellow New Yorkers across all the boroughs. Our latest interior adventure brings us to the longtime East Village apartment of acclaimed photographers James and Karla Murray. Want to see your home featured here? Get in touch!

October 26, 2016

My 630sqft: Inside ‘Store Front’ photographers Karla & James Murray’s East Village home of 22 years

By Diane Pham

You might not immediately recognize their names, but there is no doubt you know their work. Photographers James and Karla Murray burst onto the scene back in 2008 with the release of their seminal book "Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York," a work culling hundreds of images of the bygone retail graphics that once covered the city—and jointly, the mom and pop businesses that vanished alongside them. Since then, the Murrays have released two more tomes of the same vein, and collected countless awards and accolades for their documentary work along the way. In fact, their photographs can now be found in the permanent collections of major institutions around the world, including the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage and the New York Public Library. Their images also decorate the homes of countless celebrities, among them Sarah Jessica Parker, Ralph Lauren, Alicia Keys and Roseanne Barr. In this week's My sqft, 6sqft visits this warm and spunky husband-and-wife team in their East Village home to talk about their tenure in the city (they moved downtown in the 80s—though Karla is from the Bronx) and their ongoing efforts to chronicle what remains of "old New York." We also get a peek inside their studio apartment/workspace of 22 years, which as Karla and James share ahead, has some crazy stories of its own.
go inside their home here

September 21, 2016

The Urban Lens: A walk through the 90th annual Feast of San Gennaro in Little Italy

6sqft’s ongoing series The Urban Lens invites photographers to share work exploring a theme or a place within New York City. In this installment, award-winning authors and photographers James and Karla Murray introduce us to the faces and food vendors that make up the 2016 Feast of San Gennaro in Little Italy. Are you a photographer who’d like to see your work featured on The Urban Lens? Get in touch with us at [email protected]. 2016 marks the 90th anniversary of the Feast of San Gennaro, which is held in the "Little Italy" neighborhood of lower Manhattan from Thursday, September 15 through Sunday, September 25th. The Feast is an 11-day salute to the Patron Saint of Naples, Saint Januaries, and it is the longest and most popular street fair in New York City (anticipated to bring in one million tourists and New Yorkers this year). Little Italy was once known for its large population of Italian immigrants and is now centered on Mulberry Street between Broome and Canal Streets. Italians first began to settle in the area during the 1850s, but by the 1960s, wealthy Italians began to move out and Chinese merchants for the first time began to move north of Canal Street—the traditional boundary between Chinatown and Little Italy. Observing the changes in the neighborhood, Italian merchants and restaurateurs formed an association dedicated to maintaining Mulberry Street north of Canal as an all-Italian enclave, which it still largely remains. Ahead we document some of the longtime New Yorkers, tourists, and decades-old Italian vendors who've added their own flavor to this year's festivities.
our account and more photos here

March 2, 2016

The Urban Lens: Documenting New York City’s Vanishing Privilege Signs

6sqft's new series The Urban Lens invites photographers to share work exploring a theme or a place within New York City. In the first installment, award-winning authors and photographers James and Karla Murray brought us 15 years of images documenting the changing storefronts of Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village. Now they share more amazing images, this time of privilege signs, an industry term for the promotional signs installed by large corporations on storefronts. Are you a photographer who'd like to see your work featured on 6sqft? Get in touch with us at [email protected]. Privilege Signs are an industry term for the promotional signs installed by large corporations such as Coca-Cola and the Optimo Cigar Company. They were popular in the 1930s through 1960s and received their name because store owners were given the "privilege" of completing the signs with their own copy. Large companies benefited from the signs because they were an easy way of weaving a marketing campaign right into a building’s façade. The signs were not only given free to store owners, but they also brought people into the store with instant brand recognition. Today, they read retro and antique, standing out as a testament to a business' ability to endure even in the face of the monumental challenges in a city known for its rapid pace of change. When compiling our books on disappearing storefronts, we were immediately drawn to facades that still had these type of signs, so we've rounded up some of our favorites ahead.
See all the photos ahead

February 2, 2016

The Urban Lens: Documenting Gentrification’s Toll on the Mom-and-Pops of Greenwich Village