Behind the Scenes of an Exhibition: Emile Bocian in Chinatown

In partnership with the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA), the Center launched a new online exhibition, An Unlikely Photojournalist: Emile Bocian in Chinatown, a never-before-seen collection of images of Manhattan’s Chinatown in the 1970s and 80s. Co-curators Kevin Chu, Assistant Director of Collections at MOCA, and Lauren Gilbert, Senior Manager of Public Services at the Center for Jewish History, shares a behind-the-scenes look into Bocian's life, his collection, and the genesis of the exhibition. Bocian’s grandniece and nephew were also be in attendance to share their memories. Emile Bocian (1912-1990) was the child of Jewish immigrants who spent the last two decades of his life living and working in Chinatown as a photojournalist for The China Post, a Chinese-language daily. He photographed protests, celebrations, and scenes of daily life, as well as storefronts and streetscapes that provide a glimpse into a vanishing New York. This event took place on January 28, 2021

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