“Hoboken Passing†explores the unique survivors of a neighborhood in transition. Through the eyes of the old establishment family business owners and workers, I aim to better understand what defines a neighborhoods identity. What gives a community its unique soul?
These portraits of small family businesses reflect and celebrate Hoboken’s unique character. The small city charmed me when I moved with my family to Hoboken in the winter of 2007. I grew particularly fond of the old Mom & Pop shops that I encountered.
Sitting in the shadow of Manhattan, Hoboken New Jersey is only a mile square and has a long and proud history. Once a legendarily tough dock working town within site of Ellis Island, the city has a strong Italian and German heritage.
As I explored the city I found old time butchers, bakers, cobblers and small luncheonettes still tucked away in the side streets. These unique shops have grown over many decades and often generations. With walls cluttered with neighborhood photos and Little League trophies they serve as the informal meeting places for neighbors to stay connected and celebrate there shared history.
But sadly over the last few years I’ve noticed that at an ever-increasing rate Hoboken’s old small family businesses are succumbing to the changing economy and are closing their doors, inevitably to be replaced by the ubiquitous national chain store.
In 2011, with camera in hand, I started walking the streets and visiting. I created portraits of the owners and employees within their individual workspaces, letting the setting frame their story. These hard working faces are simultaneously the creators and creations of their unique environments.
My photography practice is a studied focus and effort to record what is vanishing from our collective memory. I try to capture the fleeting present so that we can honor that which is deeply rooted in the past
-John Delaney