Transit After Hours: Subway Hands

Thursday, March 24, 2022

6:00 PM

Free Online Program  

Inspired by countless hours of subway commuting in 2015, Hannah La Follette Ryan began taking evocative photos of the hands of fellow passengers. Her snapshots are of fleeting moments in the tradition of documentary and subway photographers like Helen Levitt, Chris Marker and Walker Evans.

Her @subwayhands Instagram account now boasts more than a thousand hand portraits and 318k followers, including the likes of The New York Times, The New Yorker, Humans of New York and the Guggenheim. The images offer an intimate glimpse into the lives of commuters and life on the move. You will see hands playing solitaire, embroidering, doing the crossword, caressing other hands, and deeper into the pandemic, wearing gloves and applying hand sanitizer. Each image reveals a unique story through an unconventional lens.     

Join Hannah La Follette Ryan as she talks about her project @subwayhands, the history of subway photography, and her inspiration and muse: the subway. 

REGISTER >

Free

Please Note: This event will take place online. Upon registration you will receive two emails - one will contain a confirmation receipt and the other will be an email with instructions on how to participate. We encourage you to download the Zoom app in advance for the best user experience.

All attendees are welcome. You will have the option to turn on automatic captions for this virtual program. Staff will share instructions for how to do so at the start of the event. Please email [email protected] with any questions.

Image: Photo Credit Hannah La Follette Ryan