Stunning portraits showcase the softer side of the Big Apple, with incredible images illustrating raw and remarkable moments from across New York.  

Photographer Phil Penman took to the city’s streets each day between 2019 and 2023 and captured a series of sensitive moments as the world stood still during the pandemic. 

His moving black-and-white pictures, published in his new book New York Street Diaries, give a glimpse at the calm and tranquil side of the city during lockdown. 

For more than three decades, Penman, who was born in Dorset, has been working as a professional photographer, boasting an extensive catalog, including his spellbinding images of Michael Jackson, Madonna, Jennifer Lopez or Bill Gates. 

Penman says he quickly grasped how important it was to document what was happening inside one of the world’s greatest cities at such a sensitive time. 

When tragedy struck New York on 11 September 2001, Penman was there with his camera documenting history as the terrifying scenes unraveled before his eyes.  

‘The Covid 19 pandemic was no different,’ Penman told DailyMail.com. ‘I knew that we were going through a life changing event. 

‘For me, my life as it was, started and ended on September 11th. I feel for a lot of us, it was the same during COVID 19. 

‘We were going through something the world had not seen for a long time. Hopefully something we will never have to bear witness to again.’ 

Each day he would head out early in the morning until late at night trying to take as many pictures as he could.

He says the pandemic taught him ‘just how much we all need each other’.

‘I would go out capturing the streets as I saw them. Gone was the hustle and bustle of the streets. Instead, we would see seagulls on 8th Avenue, or hear birds chirping, and the sounds of ambulance sirens in the background. Another loved one that had been taken away from us by the horrific Covid 19 virus.

‘Out of the shadows had come the homeless population. These were the people I would chat with day to day. No longer were they asking for money, but instead a mask or some food. Long had they relied on the food left out the back of the restaurants. This sadly no longer existed due to the restaurants being closed.

‘I remember walking one day down Broadway. I saw someone’s home being thrown into the back of a sanitation truck. Next to the truck stood the owner, a man wearing a jacket, that said “F**k Everything”.

‘I went up to this man and asked if I could photograph the jacket. He replied “Where are you from?” I said “England”. 

‘It turned out that we had grown up about 10 miles away from each other in the county of Dorset. Now we found each other in the middle of a pandemic lockdown chatting on the streets of New York.

‘It’s been rewarding to receive all the great message from people all around the world who have bought the book and how it means so much to them that this time period was captured.’

Madonna glammed up to the max on Instagram this week, striking a sultry pose in a plunging black off-the-shoulder ensemble.

The sleek little number allowed the 64-year-old to display her ample cleavage to full advantage as she pulled a pout for the camera.

Wearing her curtains of blonde hair down, she augmented her astonishingly smooth complexion with makeup and clasped on an ornate necklace.

‘All dressed up and Nowhere to go……………,’ the Material Girl wrote in the caption, rounding off the message with an emoji of a red high-heeled shoe.

Her latest update comes after she promised her fans a set of rescheduled concert dates following a dramatic health crisis that forced her to postpone her world tour.

Madonna’s latest album included a string of saucy ensembles, including a flesh-flashing black corset she wore to the bathroom with a jeweled cross and no trousers.

She also at one point draped herself in a monochrome pinstriped overcoat that billowed open to reveal a set of fishnets and a towering pair of heels.

Madonna’s Celebration Tour was meant to begin in mid-July with a North American leg that would sweep through over 20 cities in the United States and Canada.

However that leg had to be delayed after Madonna’s health took a sudden downturn that struck terror into the hearts of her global fanbase.

She was confined to the ICU for several days after contracting what her manager announced was a ‘serious bacterial infection.’ 

A report in Radar Online sensationally alleged that she suffered acute septic shock and was revived with Narcan, which is typically used to treat overdoses.

Sepsis takes effect when the body reacts to an infection by releasing chemicals that can result in serious organ malfunction, sometimes with fatal consequences.

DailyMail.com contacted representatives for Madonna for comment. 

The Celebration Tour will now kick off with its European leg, which will begin as originally scheduled on October 14 at London’s O2 Arena. 

Last week Madonna fired up her Instagram to assure her fans that she would be rescheduling the previously bumped dates.

‘Thank you again for your incredible support and patience over these past few weeks!’ Madonna teased. ‘I’m happy to report that the re-routed tour schedule will be coming in the next few days!’ 

A couple of weeks ago Madonna marked one month since she was discharged from the hospital – offering her a chance to ‘reflect’ on her ordeal.

‘Love from family and friends is the best Medicine,’ she wrote. ‘As a Mother you can really get caught up In the needs Of your children and the seemingly endless giving……….. But when the chips were down my children really showed up for me. I saw a side to them I had never seen before. It made all the difference.’

Meanwhile Madonna adopted her four younger children – Mercy, 17, twins Stella and Estere, 20, and a son called David Banda, 17 – from Malawi. 

She had her eldest daughter Lourdes in 1996 with her then-boyfriend Carlos Leon, a fitness trainer who has apparently remained friends with the Queen Of Pop.

Lourdes, who often goes by Lola, has followed in her mother’s footsteps and become a singer, releasing singles with such names as C**tradiction.

Madonna also has a 22-year-old son called Rocco Ritchie by her ex-husband, the smolderingly handsome English filmmaker Guy Ritchie. 

Madonna‘s grueling preparation for her epic 80-show world tour may have left her vulnerable to falling ill, doctors warned today after news broke that the 64-year-old icon was hospitalized with a ‘serious bacterial infection’.

The legendary hitmaker — whose chart-topping career has spanned four decades — is expected to make a ‘full recovery’ after being intubated in intensive care.

Details over the exact cause of the ‘Material Girl’ singer’s health scare have yet to be released by her family, who were left ‘preparing for the worst’.

They claimed the star believes she is ‘invincible’ and has ‘been wearing herself thin’ over the past few months to ensure her upcoming five-month tour of the US, Britain, Canada and Europe went perfectly.

Doctors today said it was possible Madonna’s punishing preparations — thought to involve rehearsing and exercising six days a week — may have worn her immune system down and left her vulnerable to infection. Any stress she may have faced due to the tour also ‘doesn’t help the picture’, they added.

Bacterial infections are usually mild, with their symptoms clearing naturally or with the added punch of antibiotics.  

Yet they can pose a much more serious threat to those with a weakened immune system. 

Dr Thomas Moore, an infectious diseases expert at the University of Kansas, said it was possible the singer was run down.

‘Exhaustion, certainly when you are run down, can be an issue,’ he said. ‘It is generally true that if you are very run down and not getting enough rest your immune system can be challenged.’

Madonna’s exercise routine may have actually worked against her, he said. 

‘A vigorous workout [or lifestyle] is not inherently dangerous as long as you take care of yourself,’ Dr Moore added.

‘But say your immune system is challenged [by a bacteria], if you have been working too hard this makes it more difficult for it to respond and insults arise.’

Madonna’s partying lifestyle has also likely not helped matters, Dr Moore added.

‘Your body is designed to be taken care of, and with this it can do amazing things and achieve physical feats,’ he said. 

‘But when you start to abuse your body with drugs or alcohol or stay awake for long periods when your brain wants you to go sleep, these can have an indirect effect on its ability to fight a viral infection.’

Exhaustion raises inflammation and stress levels in the body, which can suppress the number and function of immune cells making them less able to tackle infections.  

Poor sleep also has an impact, leading to a decline in the number of immune cells in the body because it has less time to manufacture new ones.

Dr Stuart Fischer, an emergency doctor in New York City, said it was possible that stress had also weakened her immune defenses.

He said: ‘Any stress due to the concert doesn’t help the picture.

‘Stress is immunosuppressive. Her stress is from going on tour and fans waiting to see her. This could have an impact.’

It was also suggested that Madonna’s age, at 64 years, could also have been involved.

Dr Moore said: ‘As you age your immune cell function… begins to decline,’ he said. ‘The immune system also becomes less nimble.’

Both doctors wished Madonna well with her recovery, saying ‘thank goodness she is out of the woods’ and congratulating her for bringing generations happiness with her music. 

Madonna is well-known for her ‘punishing’ fitness regime, which sees her exercise six times a week with a personal trainer to maintain her ‘dancer’s physique’.

The singer, who is known for being a perfectionist, has also had a six-day working week since April to gear up for her shows, those close to the star revealed.

Lee Mitchell, a personal trainer at www.jogger.co.uk, told MailOnline that Madonna’s intense exercise routine may have contributed to her unspecified illness. 

He noted that her workout plan — which includes strength training, cardio exercises and Pilates — can ‘yield positive results when appropriately managed’.

But he cautioned that ‘it is crucial to strike a balance between pushing physical limits and allowing for adequate recovery’.

Mr Mitchell said: ‘Intense exercise can temporarily suppress the immune system due to various factors, such as increased stress hormones, elevated levels of inflammation and oxidative stress. 

‘Pushing the body beyond its limits may lead to physical exhaustion, compromised immune function, hormonal imbalances and increased susceptibility to infections.’

He noted that it is ‘challenging to definitively attribute her health situation to her extreme exercise routine alone’.

Mr Mitchell added: ‘It is possible that other factors — such as her overall health, immune system, stress levels or lifestyle choices — may have contributed to her current condition. 

‘It serves as a reminder that even highly trained individuals should listen to their bodies, prioritize recovery and seek professional guidance to ensure long-term health and wellbeing.’

One of Madonna’s family members has told DailyMail.com that the shocking collapse was a wake-up call for Madonna, who believes she is ‘invincible’ and has been pushing herself extremely hard to prepare for the tour.

They said: ‘She has not been living as healthy a life as she should be for her age, and she has been wearing herself thin over the past couple of months. 

‘She thinks that she is still young when, in fact, she is not. She also believes that she is invincible.’ 

It is currently unclear exactly what infection or complications the Michigan-born singer is suffering from.

But bacterial infections can affect various parts of the body, including the skin, lungs and blood. 

While most bacteria are harmless, some can enter the body through an opening in the skin — such as a cut, insect bite or surgical wound. Others get into the body via the airways, eating contaminated food or through sex.

Antibiotics, which can come in pill, liquid, cream or IV form, are used to treat such infections. 

While most cases are mild, some untreated bacterial infections can lead to serious complications, such as sepsis.

It occurs when the immune system, which helps fight off infections, overreacts to an infection and starts attacking the body’s tissues and organs.

Professor Robert Read, chair of infectious diseases at the University of Southampton, told DailyMail.com that being under psychosocial stress increases the risk of sepsis and its severity. However, he noted that it is not fully understood why this is the case.

Surgery can be another trigger of bacterial infections.

Madonna seemed to admit to undergoing cosmetic surgery this year after she looked almost unrecognizable while presenting an award at the 2023 Grammy’s in February. 

Leading plastic surgeons said at the time that she may have had ‘excessive filler’, Botox, a facelift and nose job, as her skin appeared ‘tight and pulled back’.

Later that month, the singer posted a picture of herself on Twitter stating that her ‘swelling from surgery has gone down’.

It is unclear if she has undergone any further cosmetic procedures.

But any surgery that breaks the skin can lead to an infection, usually within 30 days of an operation.

They are usually caused by bacteria infecting the wound through touch from a contaminated medic or surgical instrument or germs in the air or already on the body that spread to the wound.

The singer is also famed for her intense partying lifestyle and has been pictured in nightclubs and parties and was previously hailed as the ‘nightlife queen’ in the 1990s.

Decades of drinking alcohol are known to hamper health.

One recent study by Oxford University researchers found that drinking alcohol can increase the risk of developing 60 ailments, including infections.

Madonna’s health scare was shared with the world by her long-time manager Guy Oseary, who revealed on Instagram that Madonna has been forced to postpone her hotly-anticipated 40th-anniversary tour as a result of her medical struggles. 

Oseary insisted in his post that the singer is ‘expected to make a full recovery’ and that her ‘health is improving’, but added that she is ‘still under medical care’.

While Madonna used to play tours featuring around 40 shows earlier in her career, she has upped her commitments in recent years and has performed twice as many.

On her most recent Madame X tour, Madonna performed 75 dates from September 2019 until March 2020 and put her ‘blood, sweat and tears’ into the performances.

Jose Extravaganza, a dancer who used to work with Madonna, told how the star had been exercising ‘a lot’ ahead of the tour.

He told DailyMail.com: ‘I think she’s exercising a lot. I mean, the rehearsals. Rehearsals are six days a week from what I hear, you know, like the only day off is Sunday.’

Mr Extravaganza also revealed how Madonna had planned to incorporate her love of boxing and fitness into her concerts by bringing martial arts into her upcoming shows, showing how important fitness is in the star’s life. 

The star was previously forced to cancel more than a dozen shows during her 2019 and 2020 The Madame X Tour after injuring her coccyx on stage. 

She wrote on Instagram at the time: ‘If only knees didn’t twist and cartilage didn’t tear and nothing hurt and tears never fell out of our eyes.

‘But alas they do and thank god for this important reminder that we are human.’

Madonna was left on crutches for ten months following the injury and operation she underwent and other ‘physical challenges’, she said at the time.

As the Covid pandemic put the final nail in her tour’s coffin, Madonna decided to undergo knee surgery in April 2020 followed by hip surgery in November 2020 as well as ‘regenerative treatment for missing cartilage’.

Madonna had to be ‘rushed to hospital and intubated after being found unresponsive’ in New York on Saturday – with the star’s manager confirming that she was suffering from a ‘serious bacterial infection’ that required a days-long stay in the ICU. 

The 64-year-old popstar’s terrifying health scare was shared with the world by her longtime manager Guy O’Seary, who revealed on Instagram that Madonna has been forced to postpone her hotly-anticipated 40th anniversary tour as a result of her medical struggles. 

O’Seary insisted in his post that the singer and mother-of-six is ‘expected to make a full recovery’ and that her ‘health is improving’, but added that she is ‘still under medical care’. 

According to Page Six, Madonna – who was due to kick off her 84-date Celebration tour in Vancouver, Canada on July 15 – was ‘discovered on Saturday’, when she was ‘taken to the ICU’ and ‘intubated overnight’. 

The publication added that Madonna’s eldest daughter, Lourdes Leon, 26, remained by her side throughout her hospitalization. 

Although O’Seary did not share the specifics of Madonna’s treatment, or the conditions of her hospitalization, he confirmed that she was taken to the ICU on Saturday and that she was diagnosed with a bacterial infection.

‘On Saturday, June 24, Madonna developed a serious bacterial infection which led to a several-day stay in the ICU,’ he wrote on Wednesday afternoon. 

‘Her health is improving, however she is still under medical care. A full recovery is expected.’

The longtime music manager then revealed that the singer is being forced to postpone the start of her tour, for which she has been rehearsing for months – and which was due to begin in a matter of weeks – writing: ‘At this time we will need to pause all commitments, which includes the tour.’

He did not reveal when Madonna might be well enough to commence the international tour, simply promising fans that he would ‘share more details as soon as we have them, including a new start date for the tour and for rescheduled shows’.

Speaking to DailyMail.com, a source confirmed that the popstar is now ‘out of the ICU and recovering’. 

The Madonna: The Celebration Tour, was slated to run from July 15, 2023, to January 30, 2024.

It would be the singer’s 12th concert tour and will visit cities in North America and Europe anticipating 84 shows. 

The singer’s last Instagram post was on June 20 – four days before her hospitalization – and showed her rehearsing for the tour in a carousel captioned: ‘The calm before the storm.’ 

On June 23, she also shared a post to her Stories showing her getting her roots bleached. 

Madonna last took to the stage in London’s O2 Arena during her Rebel Heart tour in 2015, the same year she famously took a tumble during a performance at the BRIT Awards. 

While Madonna performed at 75 theatre venues during her Madame X tour, she was forced to cancel several shows due to recurring hip and knee injuries. 

She first took to the road to tour around the UK in 1987, with her Who’s That Girl World Tour.

Her performances have been no stranger to controversy, having famously angered the Catholic Church in 1990 when she simulated masturbation on stage, leading Pope John Paul II to call for a boycott of her Blonde Ambition tour.

It was during that same tour that Madonna donned her now-iconic Jean Paul Gaultier conical bra during a sell-out show in Japan.

In 2006 she also infuriated the Church of England by staging a mock crucifixion during her Confessions tour in LA.

It comes after Madonna was scarcely recognisable in the latest racy offerings she uploaded to her Instagram page.

She decked herself out in bondage gear including a busty sheer lace top and flounced around her bed, biting down seductively on a riding crop.

The Vatican is cracking down on ‘mystics’ who claim they can communicate with the Virgin Mary, after a woman has amounted hundreds of followers with claims that the Madonna has been making free pizza.

Gisella Cardia, 53, has drawn huge crowds to her monthly trances on a hill top in Trevignano near Rome, where she stands in front of a statue of the Madonna that she claims sheds tears of blood.

The Sicilian claims she can hear the mother of Jesus Christ and writes down the revelations during a trance, before reading them out to gathered crowds.

Cardia, who has a conviction for fraudulent bankruptcy, was watched by around 250 devotees during her latest trance according to The Times.

Now the papacy has set up a task force to tackle the rising number of mystics who claim they can speak with Mary, and says Cardia’s credentials will be looked into. 

Sister Daniela del Gaudio, the head of the Vatican task force, said the group itself would not specifically study Cardia, leaving that to a commission set up by a local bishop.

Among the mystic’s claims was that she witnessed the unfathomable multiplication of pizza and gnocchi portions prepared for her followers – harking back to the biblical story of the feeding of the 5,000.

Sister del Gaudio dismissed the claim saying: ‘When the saints multiplied food it was for a real need during times of hunger and above all they did it with great humility’.

Cardia has hit back at her critics, saying: ‘They have accused me of everything: blasphemy, heresy, even prostitution.’

She has been ordered by the local mayor to remove a marquee and benches for her audience, placed on the hill without permission, as well as her statue of the Madonna.

The mystic defiantly proclaimed: ‘I have never fled and I intend to stay right here.’ 

More people attend Cardia’s events than do mass in the local church, residents in Trevignano claimed. 

Her Madonna figure came from Medjugorje in Bosnia, which has been a pilgrimage site since six children claimed to have seen visions of Mary there in 1981.

Madonna statues have also been claimed to have cried blood before, with instances of the bizarre phenomenon allegedly happening in Civitivecchia, north of Rome and Argentina.

The Pope has cast doubt on supposed apparitions in recent years, saying events like that in Medjugorje ‘do not have much value’.

While the Catholic church is keen to encourage worship of the Virgin Mary, it is increasingly worried about fraudsters and wants to help believers who can ‘easily be fooled’.

The task force is being set up by the Vatican’s Mariana Internationalis pontifical academy, run by Italian priest Stefano Cecchin.

He said something needs to be done about the rise of Madonna mystics as they ’cause confusion, promote apocalyptic scenarios and even make accusations against the Pope and the church’.