James and Karla Murray Counter Culture exhibition photographs

Counter Culture: The Disappearing Face of Brooklyn's Storefronts was a 2009 exhibition that was part of the Public Perspectives Exhibition Series at Brooklyn Historical Society. The exhibition featured photographs of Brooklyn storefronts by James and Karla Murray, taken between the late 1990s through 2008. This exhibition was funded in part by the Lily Auchincloss Foundation and the Independence Community Foundation.

James and Karla Murray are husband-and-wife New York-based professional photographers. In the late 1990s, they began photographing storefronts in nearly every neighborhood of Brooklyn. About this project, they have said, "we sought to uncover and document many original Brooklyn storefronts that have helped set the pulse, life, and texture of its many different neighborhoods. In many areas of Brooklyn, strict zoning ensures that storefront signage and awnings remain discreet and not hang over 18 inches from the sidewalk. Older stores are often forced to comply with these newer regulations and now appear modernized and have lost their character and unique appearance. It is our hope that the photographs and stores found in this exhibition will help preserve an important part of Brooklyn and bring awareness to the importance of maintaining the character and community of neighborhoods in the face of development."