Product Description

"Wilkes's photographs of the 'dark side' of Ellis Island are extraordinary...this book will be a major event." --David McCullough For five years (1998-2003) New York photographer Stephen Wilkes explored the hospital complex that comprised the south side of Ellis Island. Neglected for almost fifty years, the buildings were in a state of extreme disrepair: lead paint peeled from the ceilings and walls, vines and trees grew through the floorboards, detritus and debris littered the hallways. In rooms long-abandoned, Wilkes captured a spirited new vision of this gateway to freedom.

Twelve million people passed through Ellis Island. Approximately one percent were turned away for health reasons. Wilkes's powerful images of the underbelly of the island--a purgatory between freedom and captivity--ask us to reflect on the defining experiences of millions. With that rare combination of an eye that sees far beyond the lens with the technical acumen of a master draftsman, Wilkes takes us on an unforgettable journey through our collective past.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #150907 in Books
• Published on: 2006-10-17
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 152 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Over the course of five years, photographer Wilkes has captured the dark underbelly of Ellis Island-the south side-where immigrants who failed health inspections were brought to be held and evaluated. Those that convalesced were given passage, while those deemed too ill or contagious were left to perish in confinement just a solitary, tantalizing mile away from their hoped-for new beginning in New York City. Obsolete for over half a century, the facilities on the south side have been left to decay, and Wilkes's camera catches crumbling corridor walls, chipped and faded paint, and heavily fortified containment cells that have become brittle with age and overrun by aggressive vegetation. In the artist's words, the architecture "was 50 percent the work of man, 50 percent the triumph of nature." Wilkes' perspective evokes the hopeless limbo of the facility's residents, capturing the view from the inside looking outward: through the steel grates of a detention cage; through windows of shattered glass; at the Statue of Liberty, a monolithic paradox for those trapped beneath it. Quotations from immigrants, peppered throughout, add context and gravitas to the stark imagery: "Nobody said a word to me for twenty-three days." In an appendix-like "Image Directory," Wilkes gives a short, insightful description of each photo. Historical in both scope and timing, Wilkes's book has been released just as Ellis Island's south side is being renovated, largely thanks to Wilkes's attention; soon the haunted desolation captured in these photographs will vanish forever.
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Review
A fascinating and haunting collection of images in which Wilkes captures an alternate vision of this 'gateway to freedom.' (Lurzer's Archive )

A fascinating and haunting collection of images in which Wilkes captures an alternate vision of this "gateway to freedom -- Lurzer's Archive

A sleeper choice for anyone who thinks a picture is worth a thousand words. (Ellen Heltzel - Good Housekeeping Our Favorite New U.S. History Books )

A sleeper choice for anyone who thinks a picture is worth a thousand Words. -- Good Housekeeping "Our Favorite New U.S. History Books," Ellen Heltzel

His vivid and otherworldly photographs of the crumbling corridors and rooms, taken over five years, make up this remarkable book. (Rebecca Robertson - ArtNews )

His vivid and otherworldly photographs of the crumbling corridors and rooms, taken over five years, make up this remarkable book. -- ArtNews, Rebecca Robertson

If it is possible to photograph emotion housed in spaces, Wilkes has done it, creating an empathetic portrait. (Library Journal )

If it is possible to photograph emotion housed in spaces, Wilkes has done it, creating an empathetic portrait. -- Library Journal

The most unusual, thoughtful and stirring collection of images I have seen in years. (Lucy Davies - The Daily Telegraph )

The most unusual, thoughtful and stirring collection of images I have seen in years. -- The Daily Telegraph, Lucy Davies

Wilkes takes us on a journey through our collective past. (Former U.S. Senator Bill Bradley )

Wilkes takes us on a journey through our collective past. -- Former U.S. Senator Bill Bradley

Wilkes's stunning photographs—taken over the course of five years—make this book a beautiful historical document. -- Continental Magazine

Wilkes's stunning photographs—taken over the course of five years—make this book a beautiful historical document. (Continental Magazine )

[...] Historical in both scope and timing, Wilkes's book has been released just as Ellis Island's south side is being renovated, largely thanks to Wilkes's attention; soon the haunted desolation captured in these photographs will vanish forever. (Publishers Weekly )

About the Author
For more than two decades, Stephen Wilkes has been widely recognized for his fine art and photography. The winner of numerous honors and awards for his work, he lives in Westport, Connecticut.

Customer Reviews

Ellis Island: Ghosts of Freedom
Stephen Wilkes is a wonderful photographer and he makes the gritty details of a run down part of Ellis Island into a moving, dramatic and beautiful experience. It is powerful and also haunting and compelling you to walk in his foot steps. The images are technically exquisite. It is an inspiration to see the routes of our ancestors.

A great book to own.

David Kalman

What Is "Historic Preservation?"
This book brings to light an unusual reflection: pictures taken at a historical site which does not look at all like this any more.

The photos in this book have a haunting quality because of the disrepair of the isolation hospital on the "South Side" of Ellis Island. The dishevelment of the facility has a haunting, poetic quality as captured by Stephen Wilkes here.

We learn, though, that the site looks nothing like this any more. The Ellis Island foundation has enough money now to restore this facility to its former state, as it existed long before this level of deterioration advanced as far as shown in the book.

Meaning that this photographic record is all that survives.

It calls to question the notion of historic preservation. We now have the means to make something old look new - or as it did when it was first built. Does this mean that, eventually, this awful hospital will become a Disney World version of itself?

It's a tough ethical call, for sure. At least, though, I'm so grateful to Wilkes for creating and sharing this rare record with us all.

Beautiful Unusual Haunting Images
This is a beautiful photography book. I loved looking at the photographs. The images convey many emotions - both past and present. A must have for anyone whose ancestors came through Ellis Island.