New York City Transit Authority: Objects

Photographer Kelley showcases 400 objects in his vast collection of 2,000 artifacts from the New York City Transit Authority in this hip coffee-table book. Kelley began collecting MetroCards and photographing them in 2011, and an assortment of them are featured, as with a two-page spread of six that all expired on February 28, 2015. Other items include train schedules, MTA belt buckles from the uniforms of conductors, and an LIRR matchbook. The highlights are the rare items, such as two incorrectly minted tokens from the 1980s or patches once worn by the MTA’s ski team. There is no apparent organizing principle to the book, and the items are uniformly shot against a white background; the effect draws attention to the shifting design elements of the objects depicted, such as font differences and the varied color palettes. With no captions and only a short introduction, the book is mainly eye-candy, but there is certainly a lot for subway enthusiasts to admire in this visual feast of ephemera. (May)