Silent Cities

A moving, recognizable look at life on lockdown and the effect the coronavirus pandemic had across the world—because every city had a story to tell, and at the end of it all, we were all in it together. 

In the past year, hospitals filled, highways and subways emptied, landmarks and parks were deserted, our healthcare workers became increasingly fatigued and frustrated, and nearly all human activity paused. In photographs, The Great Wall and The Colosseum look photoshopped, with no tourists in sight. This book is unique in that it creates a visual narrative to document that emptiness as a way to reflect and to find solace amid the shock. A year later, it's something we've all seen and can relate to.
 
This is a stunning collection of the abandoned and austere sights of fifteen major cities throughout the world during the peak outbreak of COVID-19. With their fine art backgrounds and through their network of professional photographers, Julie and Jeffrey Loria worked together to capture the unprecedented lockdown conditions worldwide. The photos show a range of emotions from the physical and psychological weight of caskets being carried to a Rio cemetery, to the completely empty and eerie Times Square and Rodeo Drive, to the patriotic pride in Rome's t-shirt display honoring their Italian flag colors as a symbol of hope. The photographs are not only a reminder of the harrowing pandemic that hushed some of the world’s greatest urban streets, but also proof that across the globe, we were all in this together. Beneath the somberness in these images, there is a hint of beauty amid the stillness, but most of all, there is the presence of hope and promise that we will thrive again. Cities featured include:
 

• New York
• Jerusalem
• Boston
• Tokyo
• Paris
• Los Angeles
• Rome
• Rio de Janeiro
• San Francisco
• Washington, DC
• London
• Miami
• Tel Aviv
• Madrid
• Chicago

Jeffrey Loria is an internationally recognized art dealer specializing in 19th and 20th-century Masterworks. He is also the former owner of the Major League Miami Marlins professional baseball team, where he won a World Series in 2003. He is the author of Collecting Original Art and recently completed From the Front Row, a book of reflections on his dual careers. Jeffrey is a graduate of Yale University and Columbia Graduate School of Business. His interest in supporting universities, schools, hospitals, museums, and other charities have been a constant for him throughout his life. He was awarded the Order of Arts and Letters from the French government for his commitment to promoting the culture of France in America.
 
Julie Loria is the author of two cookbooks and an art dealer specializing in contemporary works. Her most recent book, The Game of Eating Smart, features her interviews with top Major League Baseball players and their approach to healthy eating. After graduating from Mount Holyoke College, Julie worked as a marketing executive before becoming an art dealer. She received a Royal Society of Arts Diploma in Fine and Decorative Arts in Paris, France. While living in Paris, she honed her culinary interests at the French cooking school La Cuisine de Marie-Blanche. Julie is on the advisory board of the Mount Holyoke College Art Museum.