The Ghosts
of Penn Past

By: Ben Stamper

The original Pennsylvania Station (1910-1963) was widely regarded as a masterpiece of the Beaux-Arts style and an architectural wonder of NYC. On the eve of the building’s 50th birthday, The Pennsylvania Railroad Company called for its demolition, citing prohibitive maintenance costs and a decline in rail passenger service. In its place now stands the sports complex/rail station hybrid also known as Madison Square Garden. The original building’s demolition in 1963 drew international criticism and resulted in a fierce movement of architectural preservation across the country, leading to the advent of modern historical preservation. For this film, I photographed commuters and tourists interacting with the current Penn station. I then superimposed this footage onto historical photographs of the original structure. The intent is to suggest, rather than illustrate the movements and rhythms of today within a public space that has been forever lost. The choice to cast the imagery in black and white is partly aesthetic and partly to emphasize the rigidity and the hostility towards innovation that can contribute to these types of decisions. Whether you are a fan or a critic of Madison Square Garden, it is worth considering the ratio of creation to destruction in every disruption we engage in.

Film by Ben Stamper.

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