The neo-renaissance building created by the architect William C. Frohe in 1895–1897 represents one of the oldest original Czech constructions in New York. A symbol of the Czech presence in America, it was proposed for the Manhattan district of Yorkville, in the residential Upper East Side of East 73rd Street, the area that was the central habitat for Czech immigrants. From its opening the Bohemian National Hall served as a center for the preservation of the Czech language, culture and history. It also offered space for the social activities of Czech compatriots in New York. Speeches given by presidents Tomas Garrigue Masaryk and Edward Benes are proof of its historical importance, as well as its place in the history of Czech immigrants in the Unites States, which had the largest Czech community outside the homeland. The cultural importance of the building was upheld in 1994 by the architectural-historical award that proclaimed the building a New York City monument.
Since 2001, the Bohemian National Hall has been the property of the Czech Republic. Thanks to the openness and support of the consulate-general, the Bohemian Benevolent and Literary Association, the Czech Center in New York, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the photographic project that documents the unique and inimitable interior of the "original" Bohemian National Hall was begun...
I worked on photographic project of the BNH reconstruction work from 2003 till 2008. Some of these photographs were created with a very special way: the photographic exposure was taking during several hours in order to get the most out of the light atmosphere.
The extensive photographic series includes three states: The original historical state of the building with its unique and inimitable interior, the large construction work, and the new state of the building.
The Bohemian National Building brings, along with its historical, social and cultural importance, a particular visual character suited to photography. The interior offers a remarkable pictorial experience in the form of characteristic light penetrating the space, creating a natural, but highly impressive, interior illumination. Photographs documenting the reconstruction, even with its architectural alterations, show their worth in the chronological series, offering the possibility to compare "before" and "after"; and marked with the impressive play of daylight that uniquely completes the genius loci of the building. The photographic series serves as a unique visual evidence and archive.
