30 May 2011

From The Archives: Tim Burton Macy's NYC Windows 1993










The windows of the 34th St. Herald Square NYC Macy's was a temporary display space for original sets from Tim Burton's "Nightmare Before Christmas" in October 1993.  I shot these with my old Yashica when some friends from Parsons Illustration and I took a special post-class walk up to Midtown just to see these little dioramas.  It was a novelty to see Hollywood set pieces come to life while standing on an NYC sidewalk.  It was even more intriguing to see that the world famous Macy's windows were blacked out, save for a small round hole of transparency in each.  It was through these holes that one really got to understand the minute scale on which Tim Burton was working to create this magic world of his own unique and distinctive design.  Upon revisiting these images the other day (for the first time in 18 years) I realized that there was an added bonus:  In some shots, the viewer can see the reflection of the illuminated sign from the now-defunct Woolworth's store across the street.  Damn, I really miss Woolworth's.