This photographer spent 25 years documenting the small acts of kindness that often go unnoticed. His new book highlights "the art of being an American"

Small statues of Liberty in a shop window.

We tend to overlook the fact that society only functions because of countless small actions—especially those carried out in civic roles. Photographer William Meyers’ new book, Civics, brings those moments into focus, documenting everyday acts of engagement that “sustain the democratic fabric of the nation.”

Across 25 years, Meyers photographed New York’s offices, streets, public spaces, and neighborhoods in stark black and white. The result is a portrait of the city as a living system, revealing the often invisible machinery that keeps it running.