Alan Behr photographs
Call Number
Date
Creator
Extent
Language of Materials
Abstract
The collection holds 142 black-and-white photographs by Alan Behr. 80 of the photos are from Behr's series "Naked at the Ball," which are scenes from the party and benefit circuit on Manhattan's Upper East Side. 61 photos are from his series "New York During the Covid-19 Lockdown," which captures New Yorkers going about their lives, masked or unmasked, during the coronavirus pandemic.
Biographical / Historical
Alan Behr is a writer, photographer and lawyer. A partner in the firm of Phillips Nizer LLP, Behr's practice concentrates on international intellectual property, fashion, and entertainment law. As part of the firm's active art practice, Behr represents artists, art galleries, art investors and collectors, and photographers and photography rights holders, of which he is one. Behr's photography centers on travel and on people in the context of their work, leisure, street life, and other social settings. Many of his images and written works have been published. Behr is a dual United States-German citizen, and lives in New York City.
(The above note is based on Alan Behr's biographical sketches on Phillips Nizer's website and on the site Behr maintains regarding his photography and writing interests.)
Arrangement
The collection is organized in three series:
Series I. "Naked at the Ball"
Series II. "New York During the Covid-19 Lockdown"
Series III. Other Subjects
Scope and Contents
The collection holds 142 black and white photographs taken by Alan Behr. 80 of the photos are from Behr's series "Naked at the Ball," which are scenes from the party and benefit circuit on Manhattan's Upper East Side. 61 photos are from Behr's series "New York During the Covid-19 Lockdown," which captures New Yorkers going about their lives, masked or unmasked, during the coronavirus pandemic. One photo is of a group of women reacting to the destruction of the World Trade Center towers on September 11, 2001.
All the photographs are signed by Alan Behr. Almost all are captioned by the photographer on the reverse, with title, location, and year. These captions were used in the finding aid's list of photographs. The photographer included an inventory of donated titles with his gift; in a few cases the inventory information differed from the caption. In those cases, the caption was used in the finding aid list, but the alternative information from the inventory was noted. In a few cases, the inventory provided somewhat more, but not factually different, information than the caption did; for those, the finding aid list drew on both sources.
Subjects
Access Restrictions
Open to qualified researchers by appointment only. Materials are stored offsite and advance notice is required for use. Please contact printroom@nyhistory.org prior to your research visit to coordinate access. Keep in mind that it will take between two (2) and five (5) business days for collections to arrive, and you should plan your research accordingly.
Use Restrictions
Taking images of documents from the library collections for reference purposes by using hand-held cameras and in accordance with the library's photography guidelines is encouraged. As an alternative, patrons may request up to 20 images per day from staff. Application to use images from this collection for publication should be made in writing to: Department of Rights and Reproductions, The New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024-5194, rightsandrepro@nyhistory.org. Phone: (212) 873-3400 ext. 282.
Copyrights and other proprietary rights may subsist in individuals and entities other than the New-York Historical Society, in which case the patron is responsible for securing permission from those parties. For fuller information about rights and reproductions from N-YHS visit: https://www.nyhistory.org/about/rights-reproductions
Preferred Citation
The collection should be cited as: Alan Behr photographs, PR 434, Department of Prints, Photographs, and Architectural Collections, New-York Historical Society.
Credit line: In memory of Ludwig and Sary Behr.
Location of Materials
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of the photographer, Alan Behr, in 2020 and 2021.
About this Guide
Processing Information
The collection was processed by archivist Larry Weimer in January 2022.
Repository
Series I. "Naked at the Ball", 1991, 2000-2020, inclusive
Scope and Contents
The series holds 80 black-and-white photographs from Alan Behr's series "Naked at the Ball." On his website, Behr describes the series as follows: "The Naked at the Ball series is an inside look at the party and benefit circuit on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Taken by Alan Behr while a guest at social events, they capture what is, by the standards of the milieu, images of ordinary life made in moments of leisure."
A selection of photographs from Behr's series, representative of the larger number held at N-YHS, can be found on his website at: https://alanbehr.com/naked-at-the-ball/
Arrangement
The series is organized/foldered by size of photograph, then chronologically within each size. Folder 1 holds 17 x 22 inch photographs; folder 2 holds 16 x 20 inch; folder 3 holds 13 x 19 inch; folder 4 holds 13 x 17 inch; and folder 5 holds 11 x 14 inch.
17 x 22 inch photographs
Tiffany & Co., 2000
Dancing, Waldorf Astoria, 2003
Scope and Contents
The photo's caption is dated 2003; the donor's inventory is dated 2013.
Salvatore Ferragamo Opening Night, 2003
Birthday Party, 2006
Dancers, Disco Hour, 2006
Museum Party, 2008
Dancers, Opera Ball, Waldorf Astoria, 2012
The Media, 2013
Dancers, Museum of the City of New York, 2016
Antique Cartography, The Winter Show, 2019
16 x 20 inch photographs
Party, Saks Fifth Avenue, 2000
Blackjack, Sotheby's, 2006
Waiters, Christian Dior, 2007
Naked at the Ball, 2008
13 x 19 inch photographs
Two Women, Patio, 2000
Woman in Knit Dress, 2006
Woman in Knotted Hat, Waldorf Astoria, 2017
Woman in Goat Mask, Cipriani, 2017
Debutante, Austrian Consulate General, 2019
Leaving the Dance Floor, University Club, 2019
Man with Two Champagne Glasses, 2019
Men with Mobile Phone, University Club, 2019
Woman with Diamond Drop Earrings, University Club, 2019
13 x 17 inch photographs
Two Women, Patio, 2000
Museum of Natural History, 2001
Rubbing Shoulders, 2004
Million Dollar Necklace, Cartier, 2005
Party, Judith Ripka, 2006
Woman in a Knit Dress, 2006
Three Women in Black, 2007
Scope and Contents
The photograph caption is dated 2007; the donor's inventory is dated 2002.
Woman with a Fan, 2007
Woman with Two Fans, 2008
After-Dinner Drinks, The Plaza, 2009
Scope and Contents
The photograph caption places this at the Plaza; the donor's inventory places it at the Pierre.
Alan Behr, Grand Ballroom, The Plaza, 2009
Operagoers, Opening Night, 2009
Benefactors' Preview, 2010
Before the Ball, 2011
Candelabra Bearer, The Pierre, 2011
Greeting, Payne Whitney House, 2011
Scope and Contents
The photograph caption is dated 2011; the donor's inventory dates it as 2017.
Joyful Dancing, 2011
Discussion, Waldorf Astoria, 2012
White Tie Kiss, 2012
Red Carpet, Opening Night, 2015
The Winter Show, The Armory, 2015
Woman in a Headband, The Pierre, 2015
Model, Four Seasons Restaurant, 2016
Please Be Seated, The Pierre, 2016
Preparations, The Pierre, 2016
Seated Woman, The Pierre, 2016
Antique Cartography, The Winter Show, 2019
Dance Floor, The Pierre, 2020
Selfie, The Pierre, 2020
Two Women Dancing, The Pierre, 2020
West Point Cadet with a Recent Debutante, The Pierre, 2020
11 x 14 inch photographs
Opening Night, Sonnabend Gallery, 1991
Young Guests, Waldorf Astoria, 2000
New Year's Eve, Lenox Room, 2001
New Year's Eve, 59th Street Station, 2002
Scope and Contents
The photograph caption is dated 2002; the donor's inventory dates it as 2003.
Party, The Frick Collection, 2005
Woman in Fur, Cocktails, 2005
Bartenders, 2006
Dancing, Christmas Party, 2006
Christmas Party, 2006
In the Tent, 2006
Three Women, Cocktails, 2007
Woman in Black Evening Gown, 2007
Dancers, Museum Party, Museum of the City of New York, 2007
Dancers, Disco Hour, 2008
Scope and Contents
The photograph caption is dated 2008; the donor's inventory is dated 2006.
After Party, 2008
Book Party, 2009
After-Dinner Drinks, The Plaza, 2009
Swing Dancing, Grand Ballroom, 2009
The Committee, The Plaza, 2009
Dinner, The Plaza, 2009
Woman with Pearl Earrings, 2009
Twins, Preview Night, 2010
Two Women, Tiffany & Co., 2010
Cheek Kiss, Tiffany & Co., 2010
Bill Cunningham, Winter Ball, 2015
Waltz, Waldorf Astoria, 2017
Series III. "New York During the Covid-19 Lockdown", 2020-2021, inclusive
Scope and Contents
The series holds 61 black-and-white photographs taken by Alan Behr during the 2020-2021 Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic. The images recall the health care workers, delivery persons, street buskers, subway riders, wait staff, museum guards, doormen, and others continuing to work in the city and on its streets, in their service industry jobs, in the midst of the pandemic. Children playing, joggers, people walking dogs, protesters, and others are captured in scenes that are often typical of New York street life, with the exception that wearing--or not wearing--a mask as a safeguard against contagion is a prominent detail within the larger image.
Arrangement
The series is organized by the two sizes of photographs: 13 x 19 inch in folder 1, and 11 x 17 inch in folders 2 and 3, then alphabetical by title.
13 x 19 inch photographs
Pandemic, Cafe, Third Avenue, 2020
Pandemic, Caterer, Lexington Avenue, 2020
Pandemic, "Cultivate Kindness," Columbus Avenue, 2020
Pandemic, Dentist, East 48th Street, 2020
Scope and Contents
The photograph caption indicates 48th Street; the donor inventory indicates 49th Street.
Pandemic, Driver, Madison Avenue, 2020
Pandemic, Empty Food Carts, Fifth Avenue, 2020
Pandemic, Harmonica Player, Second Avenue, 2020
Pandemic, Healthcare Worker Photographing a Horse, Lenox Hill Hospital, 2020
Pandemic, Kick the Can, East 92nd Street, 2020
Pandemic, Kneeling Protesters, 2020
Pandemic, Man Passing Bottles, Prince Street, 2020
Scope and Contents
The photograph caption places this at Prince Street; the donor's inventory places it at Pine Street.
Pandemic, Man Running, East 86th Street, 2020
Pandemic, Man with Takeout Food, East 81st Street, 2020
Scope and Contents
The location was taken from the donor's inventory; the photograph caption does not include it.
Pandemic, Newsstand, East 86th Street, 2020
Pandemic, Nick [Doorman], East 74th Street, 2020
Pandemic, Painter, East 86th Street, 2020
Pandemic, Passing Ambulance, 2020
Pandemic, Patient Arriving at Mount Sinai Hospital, 2020
Pandemic, Pedestrian, East 59th Street, 2020
Pandemic, Police Car Speeding Through the Rain, Lexington Avenue, 2020
Pandemic, Real Estate Listings, Madison Avenue, 2020
Pandemic, Schoolboy, Central Park, 2020
Pandemic, Self-Portrait, Lexington Avenue, 2020
Pandemic, Self-Portrait with Leo [Barber], 2020
Pandemic, Service Restored, East 95th Street, 2020
Scope and Contents
The location was taken from the donor's inventory; the photograph caption does not include it.
Pandemic, Waiting for the Traffic Signal, Madison Avenue, 2020
Pandemic, Woman Covering Her Face, Madison Avenue, 2020
Pandemic, Woman Passing Posters, Lafayette Street, 2020
Pandemic, Woman Reading, Central Park, 2020
Pandemic, Woman Walking a Dog, Lexington Avenue, 2020
11 x 17 inch photographs
Pandemic, Ambulance Team, Lenox Hill Hospital, 2020
Pandemic, Blowing the Shofar, East 96th Street, 2020
Pandemic, Boy on a Scooter, Third Avenue, 2020
Pandemic, Chalk Drawing, Third Avenue, 2020
Pandemic, Cocktails, East 64th Street, 2020
Pandemic, Concierge, East 95th Street, 2020
Pandemic, Jogger, Central Park Reservoir, 2020
Pandemic, Man with a Snack, Lexington Avenue, 2020
Pandemic, Man with Cocktail, East 64th Street, 2020
Pandemic, Man with Coffee, Lexington Avenue, 2020
Pandemic, Man with Birds, East 86th Street, 2020
Pandemic, Man Walking a Dog, East 85th Street, 2020
Pandemic, Open Late, Third Avenue, 2020
Pandemic, Painter, East 95th Street, 2020
Pandemic, Protest at Michael Bloomberg's House, 2020
Pandemic, Security Guard with a Dog, Fifth Avenue, 2020
Pandemic, Seven O'clock Cheer, East 95th Street, 2020
Pandemic, Sidewalk Dining on Second Avenue, 2020
Pandemic, Singer, East 86th Street, 2020
Pandemic, Woman on the Q Train, Southbound, 2020
Pandemic, Woman Passing Posters on Lafayette Street, 2020
Pandemic, Woman Skipping Rope, Third Avenue, 2020
Pandemic, Woman Walking Two Dogs, Second Avenue, 2020
Pandemic, Woman with an Improvised Face Mask, Madison Avenue, 2020
11 x 17 inch photographs (2021)
Pandemic, Children in Strollers, Second Avenue, 2021
Pandemic, Four Boys, the 6 Train, 2021
Pandemic, Full Reopening Day, Madison Avenue, 2021
Pandemic, Full Reopening Day, Park Avenue, 2021
Pandemic, Guard with Portraits, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2021
Pandemic, Peggy McCarthy Vaccinates Me, 2021
Pandemic, Senator Schumer in Union Square, 2021
Series III. Other Subjects, 2001, inclusive
Scope and Contents
The series holds one photograph from Alan Behr's "People" series. This image is an 11 x 14 inch silver gelatin print of a group of people looking with concern and fright at something behind the camera; taken on Fifth Avenue and dated the morning of 9/11/2001 the object of attention is no doubt the World Trade Center after the terrorist attack.