In the city that never sleeps, it can be difficult to find moments of quiet solitude. For artist Daniel Root, those moments come just before the sun rises. For years, Daniel walked the empty streets of NYC in the pre-dawn hours, peering into the windows of local watering holes that had closed for the night. He captured hundreds of “bars at rest” on his walks and shared his finds on Instagram. Now, over 200 of Daniel’s atmospheric bar portraits have been collected in a new book, New York Bars at Dawn, from Abbeville Press. Publishing on October 31st, you can get a sneak peek inside and hear Daniel’s behind-the-scenes stories in our upcoming virtual talk with the photographer. Check out 5 images here for a taste of what you’ll see!
New York Bars at Dawn Sneak Peek
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1. The Swan Room, East Village
Daniel’s photo project started in his own neighborhood, the East Village. One nearby spot he captured is the Swan Room, pictured above. The swanky cocktail lounge occupies a space that was once the teller room within the historic Jarmulowsky Bank building, now a boutique hotel called Nine Orchard. While sticking to places he can reach by foot, Daniel ventured out to other Lower Manhattan neighborhoods to capture every type of bar, from historic pubs that have been around for centuries like McSorley’s Ale House and landmarks like the Stonewall Inn, to nameless dive bars and restaurant bars.
2. Cherry Tavern, East Village
The new book features a foreword by Rosie Schaap, author of Drinking with Men, where she illustrates what Daniel’s photographs reveal about bar culture. An afterword by art historian Suzaan Boettger examines the aesthetic qualities of Daniel’s images. The off-hours lighting captured in every photo lends a myerstious air to the spaces, whether its the red glow of an exit sign mixing with the first rays of sunlight, or multicolored string lights above the bar twinkling with the streetlamps outside the window. Chairs usually filled with rowdy patrons stacked atop the bar or neatly sitting empty let us know we’re looking into a space that is rarely seen. Above, you can see an empty pool table at Cherry Tavern, a dive on East 6th Street.
3. Beatrice Inn (Closed), West Village
The Beatrice Inn started as a 1920s speakeasy. Housed within a building that dates back to the 1840s according to the New York Times, it was converted into an Italian restaurant in the 1950s. Then, for a while, it was a boisterous night club. After the club was forced to close in 2009, the Beatrice Inn was bought by Vanity Fair Editor-in-Chief Graydon Carter. Carter turned the former club into a chophouse. One of the chefs, Angie Mar, became the new owner in 2016. Due to rising rent cost during the pandemic, the Beatrice Inn was forced to relocate. This shot is from its original location on West 12th Street.
4. Stonewall Inn
Stonewall Inn is a historic LGBTQ+ landmark in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village. It is famous for the riots that broke out there on June 28, 1969 and for invorgorating the modern gay rights movement. Originally known as Bonnie’s Stonewall Inn, the bar is housed within two 19th-century stables that were combined with a new facade in the 1930s. A bar opened inside in the 1960s.
5. Grand Banks
Grand Banks is one of the most unique waterferont bars in the city. Located at Pier 25 in Tribeca, this floating restaurant sits aboard the Sherman Zwicker, a large wooden schooner that was hand-built in 1942. The boat was part of the Grand Banks fleet used for cod fishing in the North Atlantic and is the last original salt bank fishing vessel in existence. Before moving to New York and becoming a restaurant, the ship was moored for nearly 30 years at the Maine Maritime Museum.
To hear Daniel’s personal stories about walking to and photographing New York’s bars, and for a look at more locations featured in the bok, join Untapped New York as we sit down with the photographer for a vritual talk on October 24th!
New York Bars at Dawn Sneak Peek
