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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Seventy One: Making the most of a rainy day > Improvisation, New York City, New York, 2009
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29-JUL-2009

Improvisation, New York City, New York, 2009

Two men pass each other while crossing Lexington Avenue at peak of a downpour. Neither have an umbrella, so improvisation takes over. The man at left wears a postal uniform. He creatively seeks shelter below an inverted plastic mail tub. The other fellow uses a wet magazine to keep the rain out of his eyes, allowing him to see where is going.

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Phil Douglis13-Aug-2009 20:24
We all forget our umbrellas at times because if we bring them, we often don't need them. And when that rain does come, we don't have an umbrella, and have to rely on cartons or magazines to keep the rain out of our eyes.
Alina13-Aug-2009 14:40
LOL. It is such a funny capture. I usually forget my umbrella home too.
Phil Douglis04-Aug-2009 22:46
Thanks, Tim, for noting the relationship of this pair to the umbrella carrying duo down the street. They offer context that amplifies the level of improvisation going on here.
Phil Douglis04-Aug-2009 22:43
Thanks for the famous quote, Rose. I have often seen that very inscription. This guy is a living example of it, indeed -- even though I doubt if he is a mail carrier. Yet here he is, making the best of a difficult situation.
Tim May04-Aug-2009 19:17
A wonderful Cartier-Bresson moment - I like the way the two people in the background echo the improvisationists. The are in a similar positioning, yet they have their umbrellas.
sunlightpix04-Aug-2009 17:08
"Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds." That's the inscription on the General Post Office in New York City at 8th Avenue and 33rd Street. Looks like this guy is living the motto.
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