The New York City photographs of Michael Silberman (A’1956) capture a vibrant city, its people, and its unique neighborhoods, from “San Juan Hill” - later to become Lincoln Center – to the classrooms of The Cooper Union. In addition to Silberman’s photographs, the exhibition includes a selection of paintings and three mosaics from the same period.  

Born in Antwerp, Belgium in 1935, Silberman and his family fled through occupied France when he was just five years old, eventually making it to New York’s Upper West Side in 1941. Silberman, who worked as a freelance artist to help support his family while attending the High School of Music & Art, entered The Cooper Union in 1953 as an undergraduate, completing his degree in 1956. From his apartment on West End Avenue, where he lived for 65 years, he painted, printed photos, created linoleum cuts, designed and printed note cards, developed new typefaces, produced countless book jackets and created numerous linoleum and wood cuts and ink drawings for The New York Times and other major publications. He also worked as a commercial artist for American Express, Esquire, and other publications.  

Like Silberman’s contemporary Vivian Maier, street photography was a hobby, which he pursued avidly from the early 1950's through the early 1980's. Rarely seen without his trusty medium format Rolliecord (during the ‘50s and ‘60s) or his Voigtlander (during the late ‘60s through ‘80s), Silberman formed spontaneous connections with his everyday subjects, infusing the artistic sensibility he gained as an art student into his photography.  

We are delighted to announce that the Michael Silberman estate has agreed to donate all 71 prints from the exhibition to The Cooper Union Archives & Special Collections following the exhibition.  

Opening September 19th, 6-8pm, Library Atrium. Runs September 19-October 21, 2024