Levinthal is well known for his staged photographs of toy figurines amidst constructed playsets. Modern Romance, produced during the mid-80s, was the body of work which defined him as an artist. Using just a Polaroid SX-70 camera, he created a world reminiscent of the American 30s and 40s in which characters move and interact in dim hotel lobbies and restaurants. Romance gathers together 100 images from that monumental series, and publishes a substantial amount for the first time.