Having photographed the Brooklyn Bridge for its Centennial, Joel felt inspired to participate in the Centennial Celebration of the Statue of Liberty, and also the renovation of Ellis Island. His contribution, in the photographs shown on these pages, demanded a rigorous physical regime. Every day for an entire month he would take the first ferry boat that left from Manhattan to Ellis Island, and shoot photographs 'til nightfall, when he would take the last ferry back to Manhattan. When he retruned he would process the film shot that day, and evaluate the images. The next day he would return and begin the same process again, working right up until the last day the Island was open, before the renovation began. His sense of urgency was in response to the knowlege that the imminent restoration of Ellis Island might remove a sense of its drama and history, which is captured so well in the following images. You are invited to look through them, and you can also view five of his 4'x 5' photographic murals, which are included in "Silent Voices," a permanent exhibition in the 3rd floor gallery of the Ellis Island Museum.

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