‘How can you enjoy life?’: Haunting suicide note left by New York City photographer, 64, who jumped to his death from the 16th floor of his luxury apartment block
- Robert Herman, 64, has been identified as the man who leaped to his death from the 16th floor of an apartment block in Tribeca
- It happened at around 11pm on on Friday night in the Tribeca Park building
- Herman who had two photography books published was a renowned New York City street photographer and was highly regarded by his peers
- Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?
A New York City photographer has been identified as the man who was killed after jumping from a luxury Manhattan apartment block on Friday night.
Robert Herman, 64, jumped from the 16th-floor of the Tribeca Park building on Chambers Street at around 11pm. He died instantly after landing in the building’s courtyard.
Herman is said to have left a suicide note before he jumped which read, ‘How do you enjoy life?’
New York City photographer Robert Herman, 64, has been identified as the man who leaped to his death from the 16th floor of an apartment block in Tribeca
Herman had published two books showcasing his photography which received good reviews – The New Yorkers in 2013, seen top, and The Phone Book in 2015, above
Herman was a well known street photographer and widely respected among his peers for his work which captured everyday New Yorkers.
Herman had published two books showcasing his photography which received good reviews – The New Yorkers in 2013 and The Phone Book in 2015.
‘He was a very well-known fella, a very good photographer,’ said former New York Post photographer Lawrence Schwartzwald. ‘Quintessential New York work. It’s such a shame.’
Born in Brooklyn in 1955, Herman had been a street photographer since his days as an NYU film student back in the late 1970s according to his biography on Amazon which described him as ‘an award-winning international photographer.’
He first developed a love of photography using his father’s Nikon F camera and a 50mm lens.
Herman was a street photographer since his days as an NYU film student back in the 1970s
The emergency services were spotted outside an apartment building in Tribeca in Manhattan
‘He began by exploring the city as a means to connect with the people in his neighborhood and learn the craft of making images,’ his profile reads.
On Friday night some neighbors speculated the apparent suicide could have been related to the state’s sudden regulations regarding coronavirus, self-isolation and the current pandemic.
‘I came out to smoke a cigarette, and they told me someone jumped,’ one resident told the Post.
She added: ‘You have to be mentally strong to take on isolation. The uncertainty of what’s going to happen is scary.’
Police have not linked the death to the coronavirus outbreak, or New York’s lockdown.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced sweeping orders on Friday that severely restricts gatherings of any size for the state’s more than 19 million residents and will require workers in non-essential businesses to stay home.
Under the rules, non-essential gatherings of people of any size or for any reason are to be canceled or postponed, including parties and celebrations.
Herman landed in the courtyard of his apartment complex. There was nothing that could be done to save him