New York Almanack

History, Natural History & the Arts

Architecture

Mansions, Monuments, and Marvels of Riverside Park

by Leave a Comment

heaven on the hudsonThe new book Heaven on the Hudson: Mansions, Monuments, and Marvels of Riverside Park (Empire State Editions, 2022) by Stephanie Azzarone with photographs by Robert F. Rodriguez is a colorful tale of a singular New York City neighborhood and the personalities who make it special.

To outsiders or East Siders, Riverside Park and Riverside Drive may not have the star status of Fifth Avenue or Central Park West. But at the city’s westernmost edge, there is a quiet and beauty like few other places in all of New York. There are miles of mansions and monuments, acres of flora, and a breadth of wildlife ranging from Peregrine falcons to goats. [Read more…] about Mansions, Monuments, and Marvels of Riverside Park

Nationally Significant Olmsted Landscapes Threatened

by Leave a Comment

Postcard of Andrew Jackson Downing Memorial Park courtesy Newburgh History Blog The Cultural Landscape Foundation today released Landslide 2022, an annual thematic report and exhibition about threatened and at-risk landscapes, focusing on twelve sites designed by Frederick Law Olmsted Sr., and his successor firms, a founder of the discipline of landscape architecture best known as the co-designer of Central Park in New York City.

This year marks the bicentennial of the birth of Olmsted Sr. (1822-1903). The sites feature the involvement of one or more of all three Olmsteds: Olmsted Sr., his son Olmsted Jr. (1870-1957), and stepson John Charles Olmsted (1852-1920). [Read more…] about Nationally Significant Olmsted Landscapes Threatened

100 Yrs of NYC Planning Exhibit at Grand Central

by 1 Comment

The Constant FutureIn celebration of its centennial, the civic group Regional Plan Association has opened a free public exhibition in Grand Central Terminal’s Vanderbilt Hall. Designed by James Sanders Studio and curated by RPA, “The Constant Future: A Century of the Regional Plan” explores 100 years of New York City’s development from 1922 to the present day. The two-story display will be on view through October 24th. [Read more…] about 100 Yrs of NYC Planning Exhibit at Grand Central

Saratoga Historic Preservation Award Winners Recognized

by Leave a Comment

Stone Abbey at 125 Circular Street by Gail SteinEach year in September the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation recognizes those who have preserved the architectural heritage of Saratoga Springs.

Award recipients were recently honored during the Foundation’s Annual Meeting at Music Hall at City Hall, 474 Broadway. Categories for this year’s awards included Adaptive Reuse, Rehabilitation Initiative, Rehabilitation, Restoration, Landscape Initiative, New Contextual Design, Porch Restoration, and Window Initiative. [Read more…] about Saratoga Historic Preservation Award Winners Recognized

Joseph Brant’s Face: A State Capitol Mystery

by 8 Comments

Portrait of John Francis BrinesA recent article in the Albany Times Union, “The Enduring Mystery of a Mohawk Warrior Bust at the Capitol,” (online edition, July 22, 2022) noted that there is a sculpted face of Joseph Brant on the exterior of the State Capitol building in Albany, New York.

Researched and written by journalist Chris Carola, it questions why Brant, a Native American who supported the British during the American Revolution – and who wreaked havoc on a number of white settlements – was honored by having his visage on such a prominent edifice. [Read more…] about Joseph Brant’s Face: A State Capitol Mystery

Saratoga Race Course’s Grandstand: Some History

by Leave a Comment

Warren-designed clubhouse with 2-story veranda and conical turrets in the foreground,The Saratoga Race Course is instantly recognizable by its iconic roofline and unique treatment. The Gilded Age survives to our time through the turret-spiked, finial capped, slate roof of the grandstand.

The very distinguishable noble crown of racing’s dowager queen places one instantly at the Spa in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains, and announces “Saratoga Springs.” [Read more…] about Saratoga Race Course’s Grandstand: Some History

New York: A Metropolis of Murals

by Leave a Comment

Harry Siddons Mowbray’s Renaissance murals at J.P. Morgan’s Library on Madison AvenuePlastered on walls in public spaces and civic buildings, scattered in hotels and restaurants, hidden in private mansions, a plenitude of murals form part of New York City’s infrastructure.

Although American interest in the medium originated in the 1893 World Fair which presented visitors with numerous large-scale murals, the vogue for this form of artistic expression dates back to the Great Depression. With the introduction of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal in 1933, federal funds were made available to support and promote public art. Muralism became fashionable. [Read more…] about New York: A Metropolis of Murals

The Cult of Technology: Futurism in New York

by Leave a Comment

Lampada ad arcoIn 1906 Milan hosted the World Exhibition which, significantly, focused on the theme of transportation. The occasion for the exhibition was the inauguration of the spectacular Simplon Tunnel, connecting Milan to Europe’s major cities.

The opening up of commercial and cultural connections unleashed a burst of buoyancy. Milan became associated with the first aesthetic movement to praise the potential of the modern metropolis. [Read more…] about The Cult of Technology: Futurism in New York

Under Threat: James Brooks / Charlotte Park Home & Studios, East Hampton

by Leave a Comment

Brook Studio courtesy Preservation League of New York StateThe Brooks-Park Home & Studios in East Hampton on Long Island is an important physical link to the Abstract Expressionist Art movement and the artists who made it their home.

Artists James Brooks and Charlotte Park were at the forefront of the Abstract Expressionist art movement of the 1940s and 50s. James Brooks in particular is especially is well known for painting the largest site-specific Works Progress Administration (WPA) wall mural, in the landmarked interior of the Marine Terminal at New York’s La Guardia Airport. [Read more…] about Under Threat: James Brooks / Charlotte Park Home & Studios, East Hampton

Under Threat: The Penn Station Neighborhood in Manhattan

by 1 Comment

Gimbels Skybridge courtesy Preservation League of NYSNew York State’s Empire State Development Corporation’s proposed Pennsylvania Station Civic and Land Use Project (the “Penn Area Plan”) would demolish multiple blocks of historic buildings in the vicinity of Penn Station in Manhattan.

All told, over 40 historic buildings and structures stand to be lost while displacing thousands of residents and businesses. [Read more…] about Under Threat: The Penn Station Neighborhood in Manhattan