“Before They Were Parks” exhibit at the Arsenal

06.23.10

On exhibit now at The Arsenal—the Department of Parks & Recreation’s headquarters on Central Park—are 100 vintage and contemporary photos of 36 sites throughout the city that are now city parks but were once something else—industrial sites, commercial or residential buildings, cemeteries, etc.  Freshkills Park is among the exhibited sites, and there are a number of historic and contemporary images of the site on display, including a couple from the landfill and the pre-landfill eras.  Other works on display include an artist’s model for the newly-completed Frederick Douglass Memorial in Central Park and an 18th century gravestone recently discovered in Washington Square Park.  The exhibit, called Before They Were Parks, will be up  through September 9th.

June 23rd – September 9th, 2010
Mondays through Fridays, 9 am-5 pm
The Arsenal, 3rd floor gallery | 830 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan
FREE