Percy Loomis Sperr
Percy Loomis Sperr (P.L. Sperr) (1890–1964) was an early 20th century New York City photographer. He is most widely known for his street photography of New York City that was done under contract for the New York Public Library from the early 1920s until the early 1940s. During those two decades, he took 30,000 to 45,000 photographs of the five boroughs of New York.
Percy Loomis Sperr
New York Public Library · No known copyright restrictions
- Name
- Percy Loomis Sperr
- Born
- 1890
- Birthplace
- Columbus, Ohio, US
- Died
- 1964
- Place of death
- Staten Island, New York, US
- Education
- Oberlin College
- Occupation
- Photographer
- Nationality
- United States
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Percy Loomis Sperr (P.L. Sperr) (1890–1964) was an early 20th century New York City photographer. He is most widely known for his street photography of New York City that was done under contract for the New York Public Library from the early 1920s until the early 1940s. During those two decades, he took 30,000 to 45,000 photographs of the five boroughs of New York.
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wikidata · Q54914120 · wikipedia · Percy Loomis Sperr
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Biography
Biography
His favorite subjects were his home borough of Staten Island and the many harbors of New York.
![Digital ID: 733681F. Bronx River - [Steel bridge of the I.R.T. [Inter-borough Rapid Transit] Pelham Bay Park subway line.]. Sperr, Percy Loomis -- Photographer. 1938 Source: Photographic views of New York City, 1870's-1970's / Topics (http: digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/explore/?col_id=219)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/67/Bronx_River_-_%28Steel_bridge_of_the_I.R.T._%28Inter-borough_Rap_-_%283990061221%29.jpg/492px-Bronx_River_-_%28Steel_bridge_of_the_I.R.T._%28Inter-borough_Rap_-_%283990061221%29.jpg)
Digital ID: 733681F. Bronx River - [Steel bridge of the I.R.T. [Inter-borough Rapid Transit] Pelham Bay Park subway line.]. Sperr, Percy Loomis -- Photographer. 1938 Source: Photographic views of New York City, 1870's-1970's / Topics (http: digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/explore/?col_id=219)
New York Public Library
![Digital ID: 733729F. East River - Shore and skyline - South Ferry - Williamsburg Bridge - [South Brooklyn Municipal Ferry.]. Sperr, Percy Loomis -- Photographer. 1923; 1929 Source: Photographic views of New York City, 1870's-1970's / Topics (http: digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/explore/?col_id=219)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6f/East_River_-_Shore_and_skyline_-_South_Ferry_-_Williamsburg_-_%283990816208%29.jpg/493px-East_River_-_Shore_and_skyline_-_South_Ferry_-_Williamsburg_-_%283990816208%29.jpg)
Digital ID: 733729F. East River - Shore and skyline - South Ferry - Williamsburg Bridge - [South Brooklyn Municipal Ferry.]. Sperr, Percy Loomis -- Photographer. 1923; 1929 Source: Photographic views of New York City, 1870's-1970's / Topics (http: digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/explore/?col_id=219)
New York Public Library
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Percy Loomis Sperr • Born — 1890 • Birthplace — Columbus, Ohio, US • Died — 1964 • Place of death — Staten Island, New York, US • Other Names — P.L. Sperr • Education — Oberlin College • Occupation — Photographer • Years Active — 1923–1942 • Employer — New York Public Library • Illustration — "Unemployment Relief, One Cent Cafeteria" (1939), photograph by Percy Loomis Sperr
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
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