Bio

Paul Margolis first picked up a camera at the age of 9. He is a largely self-taught documentary and fine art photographer whose subjects include people living on the margins of society, vanishing Americana, historic architecture, and the vibrancy of life on New York City's streets. A unique quality of Paul's work is his ability to capture, preserve and convey the sense of vanishing worlds. He often combines images with text, both his own and in collaboration with writers and historians. While he has adapted to digital photography, he still works extensively with black and white film, which he processes and prints himself.

His projects have included documenting the small Jewish communities of Cuba and Ireland, as well as Jewish poverty in New York City. In the wake of September 11, 2001, he recorded the effects of the destruction of the World Trade Center on New York. More recently, he has been photographing small-venue performers in New York and old-time trades and crafts that still flourish in the city. He also did the photography for an updated historical guidebook to the Lower East Side and Bowery neighborhood of Manhattan, which was published by Columbia University Press in 2009. His work has been exhibited and published, and is in museums, historical archives and private collections.

Paul Margolis, age 9

Documentary and fine art photography have always been Paul's first loves; however, his background includes working as an editor, teacher, photojournalist and commercial photographer. He has an M.A. degree in Teaching from Fairleigh Dickinson University, and a B.A. in History from Bard College. Paul Margolis lives in New York City and works for the City of New York as a photographer and researcher.

Exhibitions

Individual Exhibitions
2011		Hidden Ellis Island, Steamship Lilac Gallery, New York, NY
2006		Hidden Ellis Island, JCC of Stamford, Stamford, CT
2006		Woven Together: The Califon Basket Factory, Califon Historical Society, Califon, NJ
2004		Hidden Ellis Island, Grace Institute Gallery, New York City
2002		The Jews of Cuba, DC37 Gallery, New York City
1997		The Jews of Cuba, B'nai B'rith Klutznick Museum, Washington, D.C.
1996		The Jews of Cuba, Pro-Jex Gallery, Austin, TX
1993		Jewish and Poor In New York, Jewish Theological Seminary, New York City
1988		Shad Fishing on the Hudson, Hudson River Maritime Center, Kingston, N.Y.
1987		Shad Fishing on the Hudson, South Street Seaport Museum, New York City
1986		Shad Fishing on the Hudson, East Hampton Town Marine Museum, Amagansett, N.Y.

Collections
American Jewish Historical Society, New York City
American Jewish Historical Society, New York, NY
Beth Hatefusoth, The Diaspora Museum, Tel Aviv, Israel
Brooklyn Arts Council, Brooklyn, NY
Library of Congress, Washington, DC
New-York Historical Society, New York, NY

Book Illustration
The Lower East Side Remembered and Revisited, Author: Joyce Mendelsohn, Columbia University Press, 2009

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