Introduction

Invisible City has popped up on my radar quite a few times. When purchasing books on Amazon, it always seemed to be in the “customers who viewed this also viewed” section. I saw it again on Time’s list of top photo books for 2014. I saw a few sample images and added the title to my ever-growing wish list. The photographer’s name, Ken Schles, appeared yet again when I was researching Lisette Model’s work as a photographer and a teacher just a short time ago.. I took it as a sign, and made the purchase.

Invisible City seemed like a low-risk investment. Despite knowing little about Schles, the book had received heaps of praise. Along with making Time’s list, a quick search revealed much press and platitudes from sources like The New York Times, The New Yorker, Slate, The Wall Street Journal and many others. Also, Invisible City had a track record. It was originally published in 1988 by Twelvetrees Press and sold out quickly. To be resurrected in late 2014 by master printer and publisher Steidl… well, that meant it stood the test of time.