It was 2005. I was in NYC visiting a cousin in his apartment. I got out my cell phone and dialed the number. To my amazement, she picked up the phone. I asked if this was Helen Levitt, the legendary street photographer. There was a frailness in her voice. She said that it was.
I enquired about her creative process. For example, I had heard that she invented a mirror attachment for the front of her lens. It was at a 45 degree angle so she could photograph somebody on her right or left without them noticing. She clarified that this was simply an attachment she bought from a local camera shop.
"I'm in town and I was wondering if it would be possible to meet you." She said she was over 90 and not getting around too well. Plus, I could detect a cautiousness in her voice. Who in their right mind, let alone a single woman in her 90s, would invite a stranger into their home? I can often be persuasive. But not this time.
I thanked her and we ended the call. Feeling a mixture of sadness and joy, I grabbed my camera and went out onto the streets of New York City.
Photos by Helen Levitt
