North Philadelphia
is a photographic portrait of a neighborhood in prolonged crisis. The book presents a compelling glimpse into an urban area that hovers between decay and possibility, and is emblematic of many such regions across the United States. Growing up in Philadelphia, photographer Daniel Traub came to know this section of the city as a youth while working on an urban renewal art project. Many years later, after spending a decade in China photographing communities at the margins of Chinese society, he returned to North Philadelphia to explore the economic and racial divide in his own country. Made between 2008-2013,
combines images of dilapidated homes, vacant lots, and street corners with portraits of the residents. While it is an unvarnished view of a neglected corner of America, it is also a book imbued with beauty and moments of revelation.