Before we can all say hello to the new hotel at JFK, we must say goodbye to the terminal that was. Thousands gathered at JFK International in New York late last year for an “Open House” to say goodbye to the iconic TWA Flight Center.
   The “living sculpture,” designed by Finnish architect Eero Saarinen in 1962, has remained vacant since TWA went out of business in 2001.

   So many fearing for the building’s future can now relax a bit, as money to renovate the building has arrived.
   

   The great architectural photographer Ezra Stoller (1915-2004) took these pictures when the place opened in 1962.
   Today everybody has a digital camera and/or a cellphone that can shoot amazing pictures in high definition. These truly remarkable pictures were shot in black and white and presented to the world as gelatin silver prints mounted on grey boards. They illustrate a focused artistry unmatched in the quick-fix digital age we now live in.
   I remember working with some of these photos from the TWA file 35 years ago, when the airline was based in New York City and headquartered at 633 Third Avenue.
   Today, these pictures are as dramatic, striking, and beautiful as ever, maybe even more so when we consider the time and attention required to produce them.
   So as the “butterfly” takes off for a new destination, those of us who love the place wish the TWA Flight Center at JFK International Airport a great new journey in the years ahead.
Geoffrey