Old Penn Station

by William Low

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Editorial Reviews
Product Description

A beautiful tribute to the glory of the original Pennsylvania Railroad Station

During the first half of the 20th century, the original Pennsylvania Station was one of New York City’s grandest landmarks, a palace in the middle of Manhattan. William Low’s glorious illustrations pay close attention to detail while still encompassing the large-scale grandeur of Penn Station. Old Penn Station follows a very specific piece of New York City history, but it’s not just a New York book. The author’s research carefully addresses the whole history of the building, from construction to destruction, ending with an acknowledgment of its lasting legacy in terms of historical preservation. Spaces can be powerful, and Old Penn Station honors one particular powerful space which is sure to engender discussion about other historical buildings and monuments all across the nation.
This is a classic, beautiful book for history lovers, train lovers, and art lovers alike.

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All Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review: 4 out of 5 stars

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

5 out of 5 stars

My Sons' Favorite, 2008-12-09
I bought this book over a year ago for no other reason than my boys love trains. We've read it at least twice a week ever since. The artwork is beautiful--my little one loves the construction workers on the front end paper and the demolition workers at the end. We've used the book to discuss everything from construction techniques (builders throwing hot rivets!) to still-standing landmarks like Grand Central Station to how books are illustrated, and when we drive through NJ, I point out (roughly) where the rubble was dumped. It's too bad some people gave it a bad review simply because they didn't notice it was a children's book before they bought it. It will teach your kids to respect and protect things that are old and beautiful and get them interested in history.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5 out of 5 stars

An Important Story Worth Knowing, 2008-07-14
My 7-year-old son and I both enjoy this book. It tells the simple, but poignent story of the destruction of the grand old Pennsylvania station in New York, by a world entralled with the automobile and unable to see a future in passenger train travel. With today's $4.00/gallon gas prices, the shortsightedness is all too apparent. I have often marveled at how plain and uninviting (and difficult to access) the current Penn Station is. Well, this is the story why. My son is a big fan of trains and he enjoys the beautiful illustrations. This book is not on the usual lists of great, prize winning children's books, but it should be.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3 out of 5 stars

History Lesson, 2007-12-29
I bought this book for my 5 year old son, so that I could read to him while he looked at the pictures. Unusual in that a children's book deplicts an event of destruction by short sighted people, that took place 40 years ago. I walked up into Penn Station after debarking a LIRR train in 1958 when I was 5 years old. Seeing the huge skylight, I new I had arrived at someplace special. My 5 year old son recently did the same, however it is nothing more than a underground catacomb today, and you cannot recapture the excitement of old Penn Station.

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

5 out of 5 stars

Grandeur Revisited, 2007-12-20
William Low masterfully uses mixed media (oil and digital) to illuminate the grandeur of New York's bygone Pennsylvania Station of the early 20th century. Most readers will never have been there in that time, but reading and EXPERIENCING this book will place the reader there. The visuals are so evocative that they invite the creative will of the other four senses to play along. Part of the book's power is that the real thing can no longer be witnessed. But this book makes a wonderful alternative. Small historical inaccuracies (the statues' are carved from marble, not granite) are moot in comparison to the overall effect the book will leave on your imagination.

1 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1 out of 5 stars

This is a child's picture book, 2007-10-24
I agree with Shawson, this is a child's introduction to Penn Station. Not much text and there is an error in the discussion of the Penn Station statuary. The statuary was carved out of marble, not pink granite as the author states.

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