These incredible street photos of New York and Europe were hidden for half a century - see them now!

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Extraordinary Ordinary is a book that brings a long-lost archive of a uniquely talented American photographer, John Baer, under the spotlight. Reminiscent of Vivian Maier’s story, the discovery of Baer’s photographs is very fascinating. His legacy of nearly 4,000 negatives, silver gelatin prints, and contact sheets documenting post-war Europe and New York was discovered after his death in 1994 and remained unseen until now.

JOHN BAER The Extraordinary Ordinary: A Memoir in Photographs 1945-1954. John Baer, Boys with Wooden Guns, Barcelona, 1951, from JOHN BAER The Extraordinary Ordinary: A Memoir in Photographs 1945-1954.

Born in Bolivar, Pennsylvania, in 1920, Baer studied journalism at Penn State, but in his early twenties, he was drafted and served with the D-Day forces landing in Normandy. This is when he acquired a Leica camera from a captured German soldier and, using it, went on to create some of the best post-war street photographs you’ve ever seen.

His early works capture his fellow soldiers in France and Germany during the war. After his return, he settled in New York. In the 50s, he moved to France and spent a year travelling around Europe. The images taken during this time show how some countries struggled with political realignment, with posters in France calling for disarmament while others warn against American dominance. We can see Germany rapidly rebuilding itself and kids in Spain playing with wooden guns.

JOHN BAER The Extraordinary Ordinary: A Memoir in Photographs 1945-1954, John Baer, Cyclists in Traffic, Munich, 1951, from JOHN BAER The Extraordinary Ordinary: A Memoir in Photographs 1945-1954. — John Baer, Cyclists in Traffic, Munich, 1951, from JOHN BAER The Extraordinary Ordinary: A Memoir in Photographs 1945-1954.

Despite working as a journalist, Baer never shared his photographs with anyone; they remained hidden for the next five decades until his son Andrew discovered them and later decided to digitise them.

JOHN BAER The Extraordinary Ordinary: A Memoir in Photographs 1945-1954. John Baer, Couple, Washington Square Park, from JOHN BAER The Extraordinary Ordinary: A Memoir in Photographs 1945-1954. — John Baer, Couple, Washington Square Park, from JOHN BAER The Extraordinary Ordinary: A Memoir in Photographs 1945-1954.

In contrast, his images of New York show optimism and his innate talent for photographing people in unguarded moments, which transports the viewer to times they never lived yet, feel undeniably familiar. People at work, resting, and going about their day. Candid, undirected scenes like the four ladies gossiping during their lunch break.

JOHN BAER The Extraordinary Ordinary: A Memoir in Photographs 1945-1954. John Baer, Paving Fifth Avenue, 1953, from JOHN BAER The Extraordinary Ordinary: A Memoir in Photographs 1945-1954. — John Baer, Paving Fifth Avenue, 1953, from JOHN BAER The Extraordinary Ordinary: A Memoir in Photographs 1945-1954.

His proximity to his subjects in some scenes suggests that he was a master of staying out of sight while capturing the bustle of this lively city. Americans rebuilding their lives after the devastation of war led to an unprecedented boom in consumerism, and Baer’s discerning eye was drawn to it.

JOHN BAER The Extraordinary Ordinary: A Memoir in Photographs 1945-1954. John Baer, Rainy Day Reflections, Lexington Avenue, Manhattan from JOHN BAER The Extraordinary Ordinary: A Memoir in Photographs 1945-1954. — John Baer, Rainy Day Reflections, Lexington Avenue, Manhattan from JOHN BAER The Extraordinary Ordinary: A Memoir in Photographs 1945-1954.

Stepping up as a new contemporary to Vivian Meier and Garry Winogrand, Baer’s photographs depict a hopeful world rebuilding and readjusting to a new order following one of the deadliest wars in human history, bringing a fresh perspective and serving as a reminder that human resilience and our innate strength to overcome adversity persist.

JOHN BAER The Extraordinary Ordinary: A Memoir in Photographs 1945-1954. John Baer, Nuns, Midtown, Manhattan, from JOHN BAER The Extraordinary Ordinary: A Memoir in Photographs 1945-1954. — John Baer, Nuns, Midtown, Manhattan, from JOHN BAER The Extraordinary Ordinary: A Memoir in Photographs 1945-1954.

250 photographs from this remarkable collection were selected for publication in a beautiful hardcover photobook titled John Baer, The Extraordinary Ordinary: A Memoir in Photographs 1945–1954, available from 15 September 2026 for $65, with pre-orders now open at a 20% discount.