The Photography of Helen Levitt

I've got the post-Halloween blues. Now it's that awful time of year when everyone gets hyped up for spending money and underwhelming family holidays. Don't get me wrong—I love winter. The quiet, the stillness, the oh-so-satisfying crunch of fresh snow under your boots. There's something so indefinably relaxing about the cold. At the same time, I'll miss the fiery leaves and spooky excitement of October.

As we move toward the end of the year, here's one last gasp of Halloween goodness, courtesy of Helen Levitt.

Levitt was a photographer who spent her life in New York. Born in Brooklyn in 1913, she developed an interest in photography after dropping out of high school. She became known for her "street photography," documenting everyday life in New York City, and she died in 2009 at the age of 95.

(As an aside, the idea of "street photography" fascinates me. While it has definite merits as an honest and candid form, it's also easily inclined toward exploitation—accidental or otherwise. Perhaps I'll flesh out these thoughts more in a future post.)

Nonetheless, I like these photos because of how they convey the excitement and idleness of a child's Halloween. They remind me of the eagerness I felt as a kid before trick-or-treating, and the exhaustion I felt afterward.

On this day after, I wish you rest and lots of candy.

NYC, 1940

NYC, 1940