ARC Exhibition at Salmagundi Club thru 10/2/18

The Art Renewal Center's annual competition for contemporary realistic art attracts some of the best artists from around the world. The paintings and sculptures are stunning for their technique and/or…

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The Dene Shelter (Central Park Maintenance)

The rustic Dene Shelter, sitting high on a rocky outcrop, is a great place to enjoy a splendid view and think about how many, many things could go wrong in…

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Frederick Law Olmsted and Central Park

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…

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Calvert Vaux and Central Park’s Dairy

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…

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John Ericsson, by Jonathan Scott Hartley

This essay is adapted from Chapter 2 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…

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Honoring Frederick Douglass (d. February 20, 1895)

In 2011, two life-size bronze sculptures of Frederick Douglass were dedicated in New York: one at the north end of Central Park, one at the New-York Historical Society. Douglass at…

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Maine Monument, by Attilio Piccirilli

This essay is adapted from Chapter 16 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…

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Abraham Lincoln, by Henry Kirke Brown

This essay is adapted from Chapter 16 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…

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Snow Babies, Central Park

Snow Babies Date: 1938 Sculptor: Victor Frisch Medium & size: Cast stone, each figure 2 feet 9 inches high Location: Central Park, entrance to Rumsy Playfield (formerly a playground, now…

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Bertel Thorvaldsen, Central Park

Bertel Thorvaldsen, self portrait, 1839 in marble; bronze copy 1892. Central Park, New York. Photo copyright © 2018 Dianne L. Durante Sculptor: Albert Bertel Thorvaldsen (self-portrait) Date: Original marble 1839; this…

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