NEW YORK CITY STORE WINDOW REFLECTION 1980 Gelatin Silver Photograph

This original 5 x 7 black and white photograph was taken and developed in 1980 by Thomas Schmidler in New York City. The image layers multiple worlds in a single frame: the reflection of a car’s chrome bumper and street scene blends seamlessly with the interior of a small shop, where garments and objects hang in quiet stillness. Above, a pair of baby shoes appears suspended, adding a surreal focal point to the composition.

Schmidler’s work frequently explored the poetry of reflection and transparency, capturing how storefront glass could merge the intimate with the public. This hand-developed gelatin silver print is both documentary and dreamlike, transforming a simple shop window into a layered meditation on memory, time, and the texture of urban life.

This is an original 1980 photograph taken and developed by my dad, Thomas Alan Schmidler in his darkroom.