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If you’re in the Ramble, you’re probably wandering aimlessly – and Frederick Law Olmsted would be pleased about that. This wooded area with its convoluted paths harks back to the…
In the early days, Central Park had sheep, but no cows. It did, however, have a Dairy, because of a scandal that broke in the summer of 1858. The Swill…
During the Mexican-American War, Lieutenant Egbert Ludovicus Viele watched helplessly as his men died of cholera. No one knew how to prevent or cure the disease, but it clearly spread…
As you might have guessed by now, I'm fascinated by the process of creating sculptures. See, for example, my posts on Clarence Darrow and on King George III, or my series of…
Manhattan has always been a target, first for its harbor and rivers, then as a commercial center. The British sailed in to grab it from the Dutch. The Dutch briefly…
This essay is adapted from Chapter 20 of Outdoor Monuments of Manhattan: A Historical Guide. I’ve kept cross-references to other chapters in the book, all of which will eventually be updated and…
The Getty Museum opened Pacific Palisades in 1974. In 1982, with a bequest of $1.2 billion from Getty's will, it became the richest museum in the world. The collection of…
This essay is adapted from Chapter 26 of Outdoor Monuments of Manhattan: A Historical Guide. I’ve kept cross-references to other chapters in the book, all of which will eventually be updated and…
Artist: Constantin-Emile Meunier Dedicated: 1914 (sculpted 1884, first exhibited 1886) Medium and size: Bronze (6.6 feet), on a granite pedestal (3.25 feet) by McKim, Mead and White Location: Columbia University,…
Artist: James Goodwin Batterson Dedicated: 1857 Medium & size: granite obelisk, 51 feet tall, with inscriptions and bronze reliefs Location: north end of the triangle formed by Fifth Avenue, Broadway,…
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