Central Park

Featuring nearly 70 photographs, this exhibition celebrates two great institutions—the New York City parks system and the Museum of the City of New York. The museum, originally housed at Gracie Mansion in Carl Schurz Park, is dedicated to an examination of the city and its myriad aspects. The park system, comprising nearly 17% of the metropolis, is a forum for activities for people of all walks of life and social status. It is both a refuge from the city and a mirror of the city itself. The images in this show are a fraction of the museum’s immense holdings, yet they represent a critical time in the parks system—from the social reform era to the cusp of World War II and ascendancy of modern New York—and demonstrate the beauty and vigor of the city’s parks. Featuring photographs by the Byron Company, Berenice Abbott, Jesse Tarbox Beals, Samuel H. Gottscho, Jacob Riis, and the Wurts Brothers among others.