Grand Central Terminal Tour Recap

 

Last Saturday, January 26th, LANDMARK WEST! and friends joined noted guide Justin Ferate for an engaging tour of one of New York's most majestic and welcoming buildings, Grand Central Terminal.

Beginning the tour across Park Avenue and gradually making our way inside, Justin highlighted small yet significant aspects of the building that create a sense of grandeur for visitors. Sets of doors in the entryway, which no longer exist, used to hide the view of the main hall so visitors would be held in suspense about the interior until experiencing it for themselves.

One of the especially delightful aspects of Grand Central is its monumental scale, with classically-inspired ornamentation, that exists alongside many features designed at a human scale. Justin explained this in his engaging and enthusiastic style by demonstrating that the length of each floor tile is the same as a human leg, with the width equal to one step.

       

The tour featured additional treasures of Grand Central, including a remnant of the old yellow bricks that used to pave Park Avenue leading up to Grand Central, which still exists in the parking garage of the old Biltmore Hotel, and of course the whispering gallery beneath an impressive Guastavino tiled ceiling.

LW! thanks Justin Ferate for leading a fascinating tour in anticipation of Grand Central's centennial celebrations later this week.

LW! on the Cutting Edge...of WUNDERKAMMERS

Guests attend LANDMARK WEST!'s "A Wunderkammer Evening" at a private residence in the West 67th Street Artist's Colony Historic District on December 4, 2012.

During the European Renaissance, objects reflecting the genius of man as well as the caprice of nature were assembled into collections; they could be remains of huge, monstrous beasts or the sculpted virtuosity of an artistic master. These marvels and oddities were secured in what were referred to as a Wunderkammer, or "cabinet of wonder" or curiosity.

On December 4, 2012, LANDMARK WEST! had the rare opportunity to venture into a private collection of art featuring a period Renaissance artist studio filled with bronze sculptures, antique musical instruments, zoological and anatomical curiosities, or in more or less words, Wunderkammers. LW! shared cocktails, hors d'oeuvres and merriment with our most devoted of friends.

Speaking of Wunderkammers...seems like LW! is on the cutting edge. Last week, the New York Times reported the opening of a Wunderkammer exhibit which will run until Saturday, February 2nd at the Grolier Club at 47 East 60th Street. If you didn't get your fill of these treasures, you have another chance to see these more of these marvels on public display. It was a lovely evening. 

The Times reports more on the Grolier Club exhibit...

Top left: A crocodile image from an early Wunderkammer. Collection of the George Peabody Library of the Sheridan Library Special Collections, Johns Hopkins University.

Bottom left: Domenico Remps, A Cabinet of Curiosity (1690s), Museo dell'Opificio delle Pietre Dure. 

Right: Guests attend LANDMARK WEST!'s "A Wunderkammer Evening." 

"Many exhibitions convey the propulsive force of human curiosity, but few manage to do so as engrossingly and with as much immediacy as “Rooms of Wonder: From Wunderkammer to Museum, 1599-1899,” a lavish repast of illustrated rare books and ephemera at the Grolier Club. The appetite for knowledge about foreign lands, unfamiliar animals and all the workings of the world — both natural and man-made — permeates this show, which delves into the origins of the modern museum.

Its story starts in 16th-century Europe, where intensely curious apothecaries, scholars and the odd nobleman or king began to amass hodgepodge collections of strange and beautiful objects that piqued their interest, inspired awe and demanded further study. These included shells and corals; animal horns and skeletons; natural specimens dried, stuffed or bottled; prints and paintings; antique sculptures and medals; ancient tools; new scientific instruments; and exotic plants and weaponry (and other accouterments) brought back from foreign climes by explorers and tradesmen. All these finds came to be displayed, along with much else, in crowded, claustrophobic rooms lined with shelves and drawers that were known as Wunderkammers, or cabinets of curiosities, and that eventually exerted an immense influence on Western culture and thought.

The show opens with the first illustration of a Wunderkammer, the woodcut frontispiece in a book about natural history that Ferrante Imperato (1550-1625), an Italian apothecary, published in Naples in 1599, illustrating it with birds, sea creatures, fossils and minerals from his own collection. The Imperato Wunderkammer included a stuffed crocodile hanging from the ceiling — an item that became a fashionable feature of the cabinets, as did the black-and-white checkered floors visible in subsequent frontispiece images." (Imperato’s own Wunderkammer seems to have lacked such a floor, but one was added to a nearly identical image for the book’s second edition in 1672.)

“Rooms of Wonder: From Wunderkammer to Museum, 1599-1899” runs through Feb. 2 at the Grolier Club, 47 East 60th Street, Manhattan; (212) 838-6690, grolierclub.org.

Join LW! for a Valentine's Celebration in a landmarked building!

Next Stop: Grand Central Terminal!

Next Stop: Grand Central Terminal!

Saturday, January 26th 2013

1:00 PM

On August 2, 1967, New York City's recently established Landmarks Preservation Commission designated Grand Central Terminal as an official New York City landmark.  Join LANDMARK WEST! and noted Tour Leader Justin Ferate as we discover just why this impressive structure is so very worthy of that designation. A Landmark designation is not to be taken for granted: if it was not for fierce and unwavering preservation advocacy, NYers and citizens of the world would be deprived of this building's splendor today.

During the course of the tour, we'll examine what defines Grand Central as "architecture" and how its majestic 100-year-old design still functions impressively in the 21st Century--processing upwards of 1.2 million people a day with elegance, grace and magnanimity. In recent years, Grand Central has undergone a tremendous $300 million dollar restoration and renovation. Learn the history and lore and rediscover parts of Grand Central that have been lost for decades. Discover for yourself the legendary mysteries of the newly restored Whispering Gallery! 

Date: Saturday, January 26, 2013

Meet: Inside the Atrium of 120 Park Avenue (the former Altria Building): SW corner of Park Avenue and 42nd Street. This building is OPPOSITE Grand Central Terminal on the south side of the street. There are benches, tables, and chairs in the Atrium for those who arrive early.

Time: 1:00 PM -- appoximately 3:00 PM

Leader: Justin Ferate*

Fee:

*Tour leader and New York Urban Historian, Justin Ferate, was honored by New York's Governor George Pataki and the New York State Tourism Council as "New York's Most Engaging Tour Guide." The AAA Guide to New York City honored Justin Ferate's tour of Grand Central Terminal as "New York's Best Walking Tour!"

LANDMARK WEST! on Roosevelt Island

LANDMARK WEST’s First Roosevelt Island Visit: FDR Four Freedoms Memorial Park



Kyle Johnson leading LW! and friends beneath the

Queensboro Bridge, en route to the Memorial

You read correctly…on Nov. 14th, 2012 LANDMARK WEST! left the Upper West Side for a sunny afternoon with friends to explore the new FDR Memorial on Roosevelt Island. Kyle Johnson, Co-Chair of the AIA NY Chapter's Architecture Tour Committee & Vice President of DOCOMOMO US-New York/Tri-State led LW! and friends via the Tram from Manhattan to Louis Kahn's only work in NYC.

 

In 1973 Mayor John Lindsay announced that a memorial park at the southern tip of Roosevelt Island for Franklin D. Roosevelt. Louis Kahn was selected as the architect and plans were completed. However, Kahn's sudden death in 1974 followed by NYC's fiscal crises of the 1970s diminished the priority of Four Freedoms Park. On October 24, 2012, the FDR Four Freedoms Park opened to the public; a project which began forty years ago.  



LW! upon arrival to the FDR Memorial

 

 "Surely, in the light of history, it is more intelligent to hope rather than to fear, to try rather than not to try. For one thing we know beyond all doubt. Nothing has ever been achieved by the person who says, 'It can't be done.'" - Eleanor Roosevelt, 1960 

The Upper West Side Roosevelt connection is the Eleanor Roosevelt Memorial. The First Lady's statue rests adjacent to the Hudson River and 72^nd Street. Eleanor was a founder of the United Nations, served as head of the United Nations Human Rights Commission and helped to draft the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights. FDR’s Four Freedoms speech, etched in Mount Airy Granite, faces the United Nations across the East River.




Franklin D. Roosevelt's Four Freedoms Speech, January 6, 1941

West-Park to host U.S. premier of film "The Second Meeting"

Since even before its designation as a New York City Individual Landmark in May 2010, West-Park Presbyterian Church (Amsterdam Avenue at West 86th Street) has set the stage for an exciting array of community events.  

From experimental theater productions (twice!) to concert series, to craft fairs and film screenings, West-Park's programming (all the while remaining a house of worship for its congregation) speaks to the adaptability of historic structures.  The trend continues this weekend as West-Park hosts a screening of the film The Second Meeting.  

Here's more from our neighbors at West-Park ... 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

NEW YORK, NY (September 24, 2012) – The advanced screening of a new documentary by Optimistic Film, The Second Meeting, will debut in New York City at West-Park Presbyterian Church on Saturday, October 13, 2012, at 7pm.  Immediately following, there will be a panel discussion that features one of the film’s subjects, U.S. Air Force pilot Lt. Colonel Dale Zelko and the producer and director of the film, Željko Mirković. West-Park Presbyterian Church presents the film in cooperation with The Center At West-Park. 

The Second Meeting follows Lt. Col Zelko’s journey back to Serbia to meet Col. Dani, 12 years after the first meeting of the pilot and missile officer who commanded the Yugoslav missile battery that shot down Zelko’s F117A Stealth fighter in 1999. “I had the remarkable opportunity to have a second chance at experiencing Serbia and her people and I will forever be deeply grateful, enriched, and blessed by it,” said Lt. Col Zelko of the experience. Lt. Col. Zelko will participate in a panel discussion and audience Q&A immediately following the screening. 

The advanced screening will be the first showing in the United States of the newest film by award-winning Serbian Filmmaker Željko Mirković. Col. Dani states, “The “Second Meeting” has taken place thanks to Mr. Željko Mirković and Mr. Dale Zelko, who have understood that in this way we can give an uncommon contribution that swarms with love and understanding, and has a goal to proclaim the world peace. This is exactly “the pearl of the goodness of humanity” we have always lacked.”

The event is open to the media. Željko Mirković, Lt. Col Zelko and Col. Dani are available for interviews. Please RSVP to attend. You can RSVP on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/events/413575218704120/.

           Who:  Open to the public; free will donation
          What:  The Second Meeting advanced screening and discussion
       Where:   West Park Presbyterian Church

                      165 W. 86th St (at Amsterdam Ave), NY, NY, 10024
        When:   Saturday, October 13, 2012, 7pm
          URL:    http://www.facebook.com/events/413575218704120/.
 

For more about Optimistic Film: http://optimisticfilm.com.
For more about West-Park Presbyterian Church: http://westparkpresbyterian.org/. 
For more about The Center at West Park (http://thecentreatwestpark.wordpress.com/.

Contact: Rev. Dr. Robert L. Brashear

Email: rlbrashear@gmail.comrlbrashear@gmail.com>

Tel.: (646) 541-3329

Advocacy How-To: Writing to your elected officials

Informing your elected officials of the issues that matter to you--to your neighborhood--is critical.  Whether you send an email, mail a letter or pick up the phone and speak to a member of staff, your neighborhood needs you to take action! Consider this post your one-stop shop for contacting your elected officials.

STEP ONE: Determine who are your elected officials.
It's easy to learn who is your City Council member, State Assembly member and so on; just click here and type in your address. 

STEP TWO: Get inspired!
Visit the LW! YouTube Channel to watch video from the first public hearing of the Landmarks Preservation Commission for a refresher on each representatives' comments about the proposed West End Avenue historic district extension. Still need a little help getting started? Here's a sample letter.
 
STEP THREE: Draft a succinct message that shares your concerns 
and requests their support.
If the above-linked sample letter is helpful, terrific!  If you'd prefer to send in something more individualized, that's equally great.  We recommend first offering thanks for support your elected officials have offered to important community issues in the past.  West End Avenue, for example, received early support from Upper West Side elected officials in whose districts landmarking would occur, thanks to the West End Preservation Society (WEPS). Then, request their continued commitment at the public hearing on October 3rd.

STEP FOUR (option 1): Send your email!
One email is all it takes!  Copy-paste the addresses below and share your request for support with all of the West Side's elected representatives at once:

     Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer: bp@manhattanbp.org
     City Council Member Gale Brewer: gbrewer@council.nyc.gov
     City Council Member Inez Dickens: idickens@council.nyc.gov
     City Council Member Melissa Mark-Viverito: mviverito@council.nyc.gov
     State Assembly Member Linda Rosenthal: rosentl@assembly.state.ny.us
     State Assembly Member Daniel O'Donnell: oneilln@assembly.state.ny.us
     State Senator Thomas K. Duane: duane@nysenate.gov
     State Senator Adriano Espaillat: espailla@nysenate.gov
     State Senator Bill Perkins: perkins@senate.state.ny.us
     Congressman Jerrold Nadler: form email-only available; click here
     Congressman Charles Rangel: form email-only available; click here
     And be sure add landmarkwest@landmarkwest.org in the "cc" line!

STEP FOUR (option 2): Send your letter!
Prefer to send a letter in hardcopy?  Links to each official's contact page is below:

     Congressmen Jerrold Nadler and Charles Rangel

     Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer

     State Senators Thomas K. Duane, Adriano Espaillat and Bill Perkins.

     State Assembly Members Linda Rosenthal and Daniel O'Donnell

     City Council Members Gale Brewer, Inez Dickens and Melissa Mark-Viverito.
 
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! Your support is essential to ensuring that our neighborhood's priorities are shared by our elected officials.  Thank you for taking the time to reach out to them.

Ghosts of the Past: "Fading Ads" illustrated lecture, October 3rd

Fading Ads of New York City 

An illustrated lecture and book signing with author Frank Jump

Wednesday, October 3rd, 2012 at 6:00PM

New York Society for Ethical Culture, 2 West 64th Street

"[Fading Ads of New York City] showcases Mr. Jump's loving record of hand-painted 'ghost signs' that lasted long enough to go from eyesore to historical asset."

             --David Dunlap, New York Times, 12/1/2011

New York City is eternally evolving. From its iconic skyline to its side alleys, the new is perpetually being built on the debris of the past. But a movement to preserve the city's vanishing landscapes has emerged. 

For nearly twenty years, Frank Jump has been documenting the fading ads that are visible, but less often seen, all over New York. Disappearing from the sides of buildings or hidden by new construction, these signs are remnants of lost eras of New York's life.  They weave together the city's unique history, culture, environment, and society and tell the stories of the businesses, places, and people whose lives transpired among them--the story of New York itself. 

This photo-documentary is also a study of time and space, of mortality and living, as Jump's campaign to capture the ads mirrors his own struggle with HIV. Experience the ads--shot with vintage Kodachrome film--and the meaning they carry through acclaimed photographer and urban documentarian Frank Jump's lens. 

Mr. Jump has given talks at The New York Public Library main branch, the Brooklyn Historical Society, and many others. 

Reservations Required!

$15 for "Steward" members, $20 for non-members

2-for-1 Admission for "Partners" and above members

Click here to buy tickets online, email landmarkwest@landmarkwest.org, or call 212-496-8110

A Morning at Play

The first official day of the Fall season may not be until tomorrow, but this morning's beautiful weather tempted us to celebrate a day early.  With blue skies on our side, we took a mid-morning romp through the Adventure Playground, located just a stone's throw from the LW! office, inside Central Park (at West 67th Street).

Tree houses in the Adventure Playground, Central Park.

It's no secret that the Adventure Playground, designed by Richard Dattner in 1967, has a special place in the hearts of West Siders.  We encourage you to swing by, kids in tow, and see for yourself how engaging and aesthetically this playground truly is.  Consider it your excuse to be a kid again!

Central Park is home to a collection of adventure-style playgrounds; take a tour via our Summer 2011 blog post, here. 

Hear (from Richard Dattner himself!) about the history of the Adventure Playground; just click on the image below:

Tonight, Experience the Architecture of Cuba

"Say the word Cuba and most people think dictators, the prison at Guantánamo Bay, and Communism with palm trees. Architect Hermes Mallea believes there is so much more to the country and has the pictures to prove it." -- Architectural Digest
 

This evening, LANDMARK WEST! hosts the illustrated slide lecture "Great Houses of Havana", featuring architect and author Hermes Mallea. 

In his book Great Houses of Havana: A Century of Cuban Style (The Monacelli Press, November 2011) Hermes Mallea gives the first-ever insider's tour of Havana's architectural gems, bringing the reader inside never-before-published homes, presenting their fascinating personal histories alongside Havana's architectural patrimony.

Mallea presents portraits of important homes built in the city between 1860 and 1960, beginning with the extraordinary images taken by American photographer, George Barnard, who was permitted to bring his camera into the intimacy of the Palace of the Counts of Santovenia. These pictures set the standard for giving the reader access inside a famously closed world.

Read more about Hermes Mallea's book on Architectural Digest online.