Susan B. Anthony: Collar City

Manhattan-based photographer Anthony spent 10 years charting the rebirth of Troy, New York, through the eyes of its diverse, multigenerational population On a winter day in 2013, photographer Susan B. Anthony drove an hour north from her home in Columbia County to Troy, New York, and unexpectedly fell in love with the city. For 10 years, she visited regularly and took photographs with her Hasselblad. Troy, a powerhouse of steel manufacturing and brickmaking in the 19th century, is also known as “Collar City” for the removable collars that were once a commonplace feature of men’s shirts and which were invented and produced here. Like many cities in the American Northeast and Midwest, its industrial power and wealth waned during the latter half of the 20th century. Among Troy’s graffiti-covered factories stand grand houses built of Troy brick that feature stately marble fireplaces and colorful Tiffany windows. The past few decades have seen an influx of newcomers to Troy who are restoring homes and becoming part of the community. Anthony photographed the urban environment in various stages of dilapidation and renewal, along with taking portraits of residents—small children to elders who have lived in the city for decades. The photographs in Collar City create a portrait of a vibrant, diverse and multigenerational community in this historic American town. Susan B. Anthony grew up in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn. For many years, Anthony worked as a painter and printmaker while teaching art in public schools, after which she joined the publishing world at Art in America and ARTnews. Anthony transitioned to photography when she inherited a Hasselblad camera. Much of her recent work has been made in Upstate New York and downtown Manhattan. Collar City is her first monograph.