Coin-Operated Binoculars - Manhattan Skyline Black and White Photography
A coin-operated tower viewer points across the New York skyline, the device every American tourist still feeds quarters to before looking through. The original Tower Optical Company patented this design in 1932 and has barely changed it since — cast iron pedestal, twin lenses, mechanical timer that runs the optics for roughly ninety seconds per coin. Most units have been retrofitted to take quarters instead of dimes; the lenses are still ground glass, and the whole thing weighs more than a person. Fine-art black and white sets the heavy metal silhouette against the city it faces. New York's least-changed piece of tourist infrastructure, pointed at the most-changed view in America.
About this print
Each print is produced in a small, signed edition. Sizes range from 12×16 in to 30×40 in across nine formats — pick the one that fits your wall, not the one closest to standard. Custom sizes available on request: write to me.
Materials & Care
Fine Art Print — archival 308 gsm cotton rag, pigment inks, 100+ year display life. Frame behind glass or float-mount.
Canvas — gallery-wrap on a 1.5 in poplar stretcher, satin laminate, ready to hang.
Framed — fine art print, mounted, matted, and framed in a thin black or natural wood profile under museum glass.
Metal — image infused into brushed aluminum, float-mounted with a hidden bracket.
Acrylic — face-mounted under 4 mm acrylic, polished edges, hung with a recessed cleat.
Dust with a soft dry cloth. Keep out of direct sunlight to preserve the inks.
Shipping & returns
Prints ship from the studio within 5–7 business days, made to order. Worldwide tracked shipping. Each print is rolled in an archival tube (or crated for framed/glass/metal/acrylic).
If a print arrives damaged, send a photo within 7 days of delivery and I'll replace it. Because every print is made to order, returns for change-of-mind aren't accepted — but if you're not sure about size or material, write to me before ordering and I'll help you pick.
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