Four weeks from Washington, D.C., via Philadelphia, New York and New England to Niagara Falls and onwards to Toronto — monuments, great cities, coast, landscape and the images that stayed with us along the way.
The White House in Washington, D.C. — a political centre and one of the best-known images of American power.The National Mall in Washington — a monumental axis, public park and stage for American history.Washington — one of the many school buses among monuments and museums. History is clearly part of the curriculum here.The Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington — soldiers move through a landscape of stone, steel and memory. For us, almost more impressive than the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.Flags in front of the Washington Monument — the significance of the flag is felt everywhere in the USA.The Washington Metro — restrained infrastructure beneath the ceremonial capital.The Library of Congress in Washington — venerable architecture and one of the world's largest collections of knowledge.Arlington National Cemetery — a place of national remembrance overlooking Washington.The Capitol in Washington — a landmark of American democracy.The Washington Monument — even after sunset, the pale obelisk remains the fixed point of the Mall.Amish Country — even in the fields, you can see how differently everyday life and work are organised here.Amish Country — tradition that continues to shape everyday life.Philadelphia City Hall — the monumental focal point at the end of South Broad Street.The Liberty Bell and Independence Hall in Philadelphia — symbols of America's founding history.Independence Hall — where the young republic took political shape.Benjamin Franklin in Philadelphia — inventor, printer, diplomat and one of the Founding Fathers of the USA. One of Philadelphia's defining figures.The Betsy Ross House in Philadelphia — a spontaneous stop opens the door to the stories America tells about itself.Inside the Betsy Ross House — a small scene turns history into an easily remembered national story.Rocky in Philadelphia — a fictional character who has long since become part of the city's history.Eastern State Penitentiary — prison architecture, decay and the history of a radical idea of imprisonment. Among the crumbling cells, that history becomes uncomfortably present.Times Square — lights, movement and countless impressions.Times Square — where the street becomes a stage.New York — taxi, flag and armed forces recruitment advertising in a single street scene.The Empire State Building — still one of New York's most beautiful skyscrapers.Manhattan from the Empire State Building — there is something uplifting about seeing New York from above.The Brooklyn Bridge — beauty and engineering in harmony.DUMBO in Brooklyn — short for ‘Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass’. A vintage car and the Manhattan Bridge in one frame.The Statue of Liberty — a symbol of freedom, and of our own longing for New York.The Guggenheim Museum in New York — Frank Lloyd Wright's spiral architecture draws the eye almost as strongly as the art.The Beresford by Central Park — the building embodies the monumental scale of residential New York along the park's edge.In the souvenir shop — the line between kitsch and cult blurs.The 9/11 Memorial — you stop, and fall silent. A place of remembrance whose design leaves a deep impression.Inside the 9/11 Museum — a fire engine makes the catastrophe tangible and immediate.New York — a beer truck becomes a subject amid urban canyons and advertising.The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) — one of the world's most important museums of modern and contemporary art. Warhol's soup cans have long been part of modern art's shared visual memory.Radio City Music Hall — New York's grand entertainment architecture still glows as though from another age.Radio City Music Hall — abundant red, plush upholstery and Art Deco charm convey the splendour of a bygone era.Rockefeller Center — Pride flags amid architecture and the everyday bustle of tourism.Inside Rockefeller Center — golden light, polished stone and sweeping escalators. The spirit of the 1930s and timeless elegance are both palpable.New York — the Atlas sculpture and St Patrick's Cathedral on Fifth Avenue.Manhattan at night — every point of light tells of a city that never seems to stand still.SUMMIT One Vanderbilt — mirrors, glass and height make the new observation deck a welcome addition to the city's classic viewpoints.SUMMIT One Vanderbilt — the observation deck opens new perspectives on New York and gives old landmarks such as the Chrysler Building an impressive setting.Yale University — Sterling Memorial Library was deliberately designed in the style of a Gothic church. In front stands ‘The Women's Table’ by artist Maya Lin, a symbol of women's progress towards greater equality at the university.Mystic Seaport — an open-air museum bringing everyday life in a historic New England port town to life.The Cliff Walk in Newport — the Atlantic on one side, the mansions of the Gilded Age on the other.Rough Point in Newport — one of the magnificent Gilded Age mansions and a lavish summer residence for America's upper class in the late nineteenth century.Boston — rooted in tradition, lively and unmistakable.Boston Harbor — between the modern skyline and the historic harbour, Boston shows its most beautiful side. One of our favourite views of the city.The Boston Duck Tour — amphibious vehicles combine a city tour with a trip on the water. Not everyone's way of travelling, but unmistakably part of Boston.The Freedom Trail in Boston — history is not merely explained here, but visibly performed.Granary Burying Ground — key figures of the American Revolution lie buried in the middle of Boston.Provincetown — colourful, open and lively at the very tip of Cape Cod.Provincetown — a place that also stands for sea, beach and ease.Cape Cod — a lobster roll and potato chips belong here almost as naturally as the sea and wind.Whale watching off Cape Cod — a long wait, eyes fixed expectantly on the water, and then the joy when the whale suddenly appears. A brief moment of almost unimaginable happiness.Whale watching off Cape Cod — the fluke rises from the water, then the whale disappears into the depths again. A few seconds that stay with you.Captain Jack's Wharf in Provincetown — a small world of wooden houses, jetties and life directly above the water.Provincetown — Paige Turner combines humour, charm and tremendous stage presence in her drag show. One of those evenings that captures the character of the place.The Mayflower II in Plymouth — a faithful replica of the famous sailing ship of 1620.Plimoth Patuxet Museums — historic buildings and crafts at the open-air museum give a vivid impression of life among the first English settlers. Interpreters tell their stories in the first person.Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA) — contemporary art in an unexpected place in the Berkshires.MASS MoCA — a former factory complex creates spaces in which art can grow unusually large.Anselm Kiefer at MASS MoCA — the German artist's monumental ‘The Women of the Revolution’ finds an extraordinary setting in the vast factory halls.The American Falls — aboard the Maid of the Mist, the waterfalls seem close enough to touch.The Horseshoe Falls — from the boat, the familiar panorama becomes an immediate force of nature.Cave of the Winds — the wooden walkways take you so close to the falls that staying dry is not an option.Terrapin Point — on the American side, you stand almost on the edge of the Horseshoe Falls and watch the water disappear right beside you.Niagara Falls at night — the Falls Illumination and fireworks turn the natural wonder into an impressive spectacle of water, light and colour.Niagara Falls from the Skylon Tower — only from above does the full geography of the falls become clear.The Horseshoe Falls from the Skylon Tower — the boat reveals the scale of the masses of water.Niagara Parks Power Station — industrial history told through light and space in the former power station.The Niagara power station tunnel — 670 metres through the rock to a new perspective on the falls.Niagara-on-the-Lake — horse-drawn carriages, well-kept streets and a deliberately preserved townscape. After the force of the waterfalls, everything here feels surprisingly quiet.Niagara-on-the-Lake — a historic pharmacy gives an impression of everyday life in times past.Niagara-on-the-Lake — at its end, the Niagara River opens into the expanse of Lake Ontario. Perfectly calm.Casa Loma in Toronto — Sir Henry Pellatt, the son of Scottish immigrants and a successful entrepreneur, fulfilled a childhood dream with this imposing castle in the middle of Toronto.Casa Loma in Toronto — dark wood, tall windows and an opulent bar stage the idea of an English country house in the middle of Canada.Toronto from Lake Ontario — the boat trip on the lake offers a perspective you cannot experience from land.Toronto at night.‘Twister’ at Pier 27 in Toronto — sculptures and art installations shape the cityscape and give Toronto its distinctive character.The CN Tower in Toronto — among the high-rises, it remains the city's unmissable fixed point.Steam Whistle Brewing in Toronto — a brewery in the historic Roundhouse right beside the CN Tower.Royal Bank Plaza in Toronto — the two towers are clad in gold-coated glass: skyline landmarks and examples of modern architecture.Toronto Eaton Centre — the Canada geese in Michael Snow's art installation ‘Flight Stop’ float right through the shopping centre.Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto — historic architecture meets modern skyscrapers and a lively gathering place in the heart of the city.Graffiti Alley in Toronto — the city's street art turns façades into an unfolding visual narrative.Graffiti Alley in Toronto — colour, lettering and political messages across several city blocks.Sharp Centre for Design in Toronto — the art school at OCAD University embodies creativity and the courage to embrace unusual design. It shows how modern and willing to experiment Toronto is.Distillery District in Toronto — industrial heritage, brick and new city life in a car-free neighbourhood.Kensington Market in Toronto — a diverse neighbourhood of small shops, food, colours and improvised city life.‘The Immigrant Family’ in Toronto — a fitting close to the photographs of our journey: the sculpture recalls that Toronto was shaped by people from all over the world. Open, friendly and international.
