Commemorating NYC Photographer Icon Percy Loomis Sperr
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The One-Man Dynamo Who Preserved A Changing City
By Michael Perlman
Percy Loomis Sperr, also known as P.L. Sperr, can now be considered a most prolific photographer who captured the spirit of New York City life through everyday people. Looking back, he enabled the 1920s through the 1940s to come alive with much distinction. Contracting meningitis during his childhood resulted in traveling on crutches, but did not halt the cultivation of his dream. He became a preservationist and was undeniably a hero.
PL Sperr, Oberlin College yearbook photo, Courtesy of Todd Berkun
Despite Sperr’s great success, facts about his life are gradually being discovered, since not much has been documented. As the photos of nearly every corner of the five boroughs speak for themselves, he would likely take pride in this generation, who is taking an interest in his photography expeditions and the stories that unfold through his work. Not only did he document “landmarks” and popular streets, but streets where most people would not typically be familiar with. When a recognizable building was set for demolition, he photographed it, which was then followed by documenting the stages of clearing the property and redeveloping it. Surprisingly, photography was not his main interest. “I am not much of a camera fan. My own interest is rather in the story than in the picture,” wrote Sperr in 1934.
Sperr was born in 1889 in Columbus, Ohio, was an Oberlin College alumnus, and dedicated much of his life toward exploring New York City’s five boroughs through an additional lens. A listing in the Class of 1912 book referenced, “Business, Columbus, Ohio, care The Stoneman Press, 337 High St.” After relocating to New York around 1917, Sperr resided at 2887 Bailey Avenue in the Bronx. His WWI draft card indicates that he was a printer for the well-known Lumitone Art Company. He married Louise, a native of Germany, and in 1920, they had a son named Robert. In 1964, he passed away in Staten Island, which he called the “Cinderella of Boroughs.” This was his longtime residence since 1924.
Queens Blvd Art Deco shops being erected at southeast corner of 63rd Dr, Former site of AE Schrader greenhouses, July 1, 1940 photo by PL Sperr, Courtesy of NYPL
Queens Blvd, south side, east from 75th Rd showing new building construction, May 30, 1939 photo by PL Sperr, Courtesy of NYPL
63rd Dr & Queens Blvd facing north with landfill for development into residential district, May 24, 1935 photo by PL Sperr, Courtesy of NYPL
Sperr aspired to become a writer and featured photos to orchestrate his stories, but would shortly learn that only his photos generated an income. Most notably, he was under contract by the New York Public Library (NYPL) as a photographer and earned the title “Official Photographer for the City of New York.” Over the course of his career, he crossed paths with photography icon Berenice Abbott of “Changing New York” and Walker Evans. Today, at least 30,000 of Sperr’s presumed 45,000 photos are accessible through the NYPL, and span 1923 to 1945. His extensive historical collection was referenced under “New Yorkana.” In 1924, he often wrote articles for Sunday magazine sections of newspapers, and took pride in covering the NYPL. The June 1925 edition of “The Office Economist” published his article, “What Price Straw Braid? The Public Library, an Information Desk that Serves Every Branch of Business.”
Sperr witnessed the 1920s to 1940s evolution of Forest Hills and Rego Park from farmland and homes within forested settings, sometimes situated on higher elevations to that of stately apartment buildings and public, civic, and commercial buildings, situated along Queens Boulevard and nearby. He also witnessed the advent of the IND subway line in 1936. Forest Hills, formerly Whitepot, underwent a name change in 1906 by Cord Meyer Development Company. Rego Park, which was referenced as Forest Hills West, was named in 1923 by the REal GOod Construction Company.
Queens Blvd, east from 62nd Ave with Marion Court on right & Boulevard Tavern & Meenan coal ads, June 29, 1936 photo by PL Sperr, Courtesy of NYPL
Queens Blvd south side at 78th Ave, Office & yard of EC Noble, architect & builder of ornamental rustic work, Feb 10, 1937 photo by PL Sperr, Courtesy of NYPL
Queens Blvd, northeast corner near Continental Ave, Boulevard Bank & Masonic Temple, May 30, 1939 photo by PL Sperr, Courtesy of NYPL
Municipal Reference Library Notes was the NYPL’s weekly publication for city officials and employees, with an exception of the summer. The January 6, 1926 edition features “Street Scenes in New York,” which read, “We are fortunate in having a display of many excellent photographs of street scenes in New York City. You may see glimpses of the ‘Feast of St. Anthony,’ an annual event celebrated by the Italians with a parade in which they carry five-story high pedestal for the Saint. There are scenes in the public markets, pretty spots in the parks, activities on the docks and in the fish markets. Many religious celebrations or national festivities, push-cart scenes, a ‘smithy’ in the Bronx, or a pasturage in Manhattan. The photographer to whom we are indebted for this exhibit, Mr. P.L. Sperr, has been able to capture pictures of places and events which give the observer a wonderful insight into the life of the City. Come and enjoy these pictures. Books are set aside to call your attention to aspects of city life which are shown in the photographs taken by Mr. Sperr.”
Sperr embraced immigration in New York City. The July 15, 1923 edition of The New York Tribune featured Sperr’s article, “A Dinner For One” and explored his account of a “True Bohemian.” It spotlights one’s pleasure with the Lower East Side’s diverse cuisines.
Sperr self-published “Island Scenes” in 1937, which highlights 130 Staten Island scenes out of his portfolio of over 5,000 views of the borough. His focus was on the largely untouched historic homes and natural landscapes. Under the “Ancient Houses” section, he wrote, “Houses still standing carry the architectural history of Staten Island back almost to the date of the first permanent settlement. Some of them are more than 250 years old.”
Queens Blvd at NW corner of Junction Blvd with Howard Johnson’s, July 1, 1940 photo by PL Sperr, Courtesy of NYPL
PS 139 & Our Saviour Lutheran Church, 63rd Dr, July 1, 1940 photo by PL Sperr, Courtesy of NYPL
Queens Blvd, SW corner of 64th Rd, Home & hot houses of AF Schrader of 1909, Partially in path of proposed 64th Rd being cut through, June 4, 1927 photo by PL Sperr, Courtesy of NYPL
Among Sperr’s favorite subjects to capture was the harbor. In Sperr’s written work, he said, “Out of all this endless material for story-photographs, the harbor (of New York) produces that which interests me the most … Perhaps the country will become more ship minded and the number of (photo) collectors will increase from hundreds to thousands.”
“Those who know New York will be rubbing their eyes in amazement when they see ‘Winterset,’ film version of the Maxwell Anderson prize play opening next Thursday at the Radio City Music Hall, for Manhattan has been recreated for the picture right in the midst of a Hollywood studio,” learned readers of “Manhattan West,” a November 29, 1936 Brooklyn Daily Eagle article. Harold Hendee served as RKO Research Director and desired atmospheric quality, detail-oriented images of the Brooklyn Bridge at the New York pier’s base, for example, since the scene entailed a dead-end street at the river’s edge. The scenery also featured tenement walls with narrow fire escapes and geraniums on windows. He became reacquainted with Sperr, who supplied over 100 Lower East Side photos. Burgess Meredith and Margo appeared alongside a backdrop erected from photos that Sperr selected for Hollywood. For the past 13 years, he took over 25,000 photos.
Queens Blvd SW corner 62nd Ave, Mrs Howard House, pre-Revolutionary farmhouse, later Robert Odekirk farmhouse & Real Good Construction Co office, June 8, 1927 photo by PL Sperr, Courtesy of NYPL
Queens Blvd, north side between Horace Harding Blvd & 62nd Ave, Dicker Muller House of 1898, June 29, 1936 photo by PL Sperr, Courtesy of NYPL
72nd Ave & Queens Blvd, SE corner, July 7, 1940, PL Sperr, Courtesy of NYPL
Historian Todd Berkun, who launched the Facebook group “Long Island and NY Places That Are No More,” has long been inspired by Sperr, and is on a quest to discover additional facts. He pointed out that Sperr’s last photos in the NYPL archive are dated 1945 and explained, “The market for photography seemed to dry up around that time, and Sperr moved on to running a second-hand bookstore on Staten Island, selling discarded books of poetry and comic books at three for a dime. It seemed to only take him further away from his first love of writing. He was said to be detached from his work in the bookstore, often falling asleep at his post. He died in June of 1964 with his collections waiting to hopefully one day be rediscovered.” In addition to the NYPL, some of Sperr’s photos were retained by the Mariners Museum, the Staten Island Institute of Arts, and the Staten Island Historical Society.
Rego-Forest Preservation Council’s Facebook group is generating a buzz about Sperr’s Forest Hills and Rego Park photography, thanks to member Jim Orens, a Riverside, California resident, who lived in Rego Park from 1952 to 1978 and in Kew Gardens from 1978 to 1985. He explained, “Percy Loomis Sperr had a love for his native Staten Island, but his photos from the 1920s to the 1940s extended far beyond to include Queens, not long after its early days of incorporation with NYC (1898) into the modern era. His photos not only capture the grandeur of some of the mansion-like homes, but ramshackle remains of what once was.”
Forest Hills firehouse on Queens Blvd & Holland House on Austin St, Feb 10, 1937, PL Sperr, Courtesy of NYPL
Queens Blvd, north side at 75th Rd, Topsy’s Chicken, Auto body shop, Queens County Medical Society Building, May 30, 1939 photo by PL Sperr, Courtesy of NYPL
Ridgewood Savings Bank, July 7, 1940, Photo by PL Sperr, Courtesy of NYPL
As a photographer, he has long been fascinated by the early days of Rego Park, Forest Hills, and Kew Gardens, and shared how his relationship originated. “I came across Sperr thanks to the work of Michael Perlman and Rego-Forest Preservation Council, which spurred me to investigate more fully the history of our neighborhoods and all of Queens. His style is to take the ordinary and make it special. It freezes time and allows us to relive what came before, but has been lost to our neighborhoods’ ever modernization.” Orens believes that Sperr’s work is akin to the old-time newsreel, “The Passing Parade.” He also feels inspired to document what he can of today’s special remnants, and continue Sperr’s legacy. “Little did I know when I shot my video ‘Rego Park 1985,’ that I was already walking in Sperr’s footsteps,” he said.
In 2020, Queens Historical Society Executive Director and Historian Jason Antos discovered and preserved approximately 100 of Sperr’s negatives of Flushing, Bayside, Whitestone, Woodside, Little Neck, and Astoria. He took his passion to the next level by curating a QHS exhibit of Sperr’s work in 2021, which was the first of its kind to be held in Queens. He explained, “It ran successfully for 18 months, and featured 25 photos, all produced from the original negatives. Percy Loomis Sperr’s photos are very striking in their simplicity. The images are more journalistic, with a sort of on-the-scene reporting. That’s what makes his photos special.”
Antos admires how the photos depict everything from cornfields to the building of the Grand Central Parkway, and from wealth to poverty to street scenes which were daily visuals to the people of Queens, including trolley cars, businesses, and ancient colonial homesteads. “They are now gone with barely any trace of its existence,” he said.
If a reader of this column is a descendant of Percy Loomis Sperr or owns his photographic and written works, negatives, or portraits of him, please email mperlman@queensledger.com to further preserve his legacy.
