“The word ‘genius’ is used so indiscriminately in our culture that its meaning, even when applied to such masterworks as the Brooklyn Bridge, has become completely diminished,” states photographer Barbara Mensch.

Mensch’s new book, In the Shadow Of Genius: The Brooklyn Bridge and Its Creators, combines her black and white photographs with first-person narrative to create an encyclopedic record of the Brooklyn Bridge that casts a new light on the concept of genius.

“The obsession I had with capturing these images was in part my way of summoning up the great minds behind the work, and seeking some universal truths in the process. It was through the process of retracing their steps through history that I sought a greater understanding of the ingredients and characteristics needed to achieve a work of lasting significance,” says Mensch.

The book, published by Empire State Editions/Fordham University Press, begins with Mensch’s personal experience of living alongside the Brooklyn Bridge for more than 30 years. She then shares her personal quest to understand the brilliant minds of those who built it: John, Washington, and Emily Roebling.

From New York to Germany, as well as Pennsylvania and other sites of Roebling projects, Mensch fuses her photography with letters, notes, and drawings from the Roebling family archive. Mensch concludes her story where it started, at the Brooklyn Bridge, including never-before-seen images captured deep within its structure.

On Monday, October 29, 2018, Mensch will give a book talk at The Skyscraper Museum from 6:30-8:00 pm.

In the Shadow Of Genius: The Brooklyn Bridge and Its Creators
Photographs and text by Barbara Mensch
Published by Empire State Editions/Fordham University Press

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