Located just north of Engineer's Gate at 91st Street and Fifth Avenue, this bronze bas-relief remembers British journalist William T. Stead (1849-1912), who perished along with over 1,500 others when the RMS Titanic sank on April 15, 1912. This piece is a replica of a work by British sculptor George James Frampton (1860-1928) whose original is set into a wall along London's Embankment promenade on the Thames River. The American version, located at Fifth Avenue at 91st Street, is set into the wall of Central Park.

Stead was a well-known journalist who founded the Review of Reviews publication in 1890. He bravely distinguished himself by helping others at the expense of his own life while the Titanic sank into the depths of the North Atlantic. A memorial was erected in London in 1913 following the tragedy. New Yorkers dedicated a copy on July 5, 1920, in this limestone setting designed by the architectural firm of Carrère and Hastings.

Two allegorical figures flank the inscription, a knight representing Fortitude and an angel figure representing Sympathy. The knight was stolen in the 1930s and resculpted in 1936. In 1996 the Central Park Conservancy restored the monument and replaced the missing features.

William T. Stead Memorial

 The plot was originally the location of the Lenox Library from 1877&ndash;1912 

At Frick's death in 1919, he left his house and all of its contents, including art, furniture, and decorative objects, as a museum to the public. His family continued to live in the house until his wife died. After which the trustees of the collection began the transformation of the house into a museum. The collection opened to the public in 1935.The building itself has been enlarged three times, in 1931&ndash;35, 1977 and 2011.

The historic neoclassical residence of the industrialist and art patron Henry Clay Frick in New York City. It was transformed into a museum in the mid-1930s and houses the Frick Collection and the Frick Art Reference Library. Considered to be a significant arts and architecture repository of a Gilded Age art collection.

The Frick Collection

The Catalog Room was restored starting in 1983. Ten million catalog cards, many of which were tattered, were replaced with photocopies that had been created over six years at a cost of $3.3 million. The room was subsequently renamed for Bill Blass, the fashion designer, who gave $10 million to the New York Public Library in 1994.One of New York City`s most iconic locations, the majestic Rose Main Reading Room measures 78 feet by 297 feet—roughly the length of two city blocks—with 52-foot-tall ceilings displaying murals of vibrant skies and billowing clouds. This breathtaking Beaux-Arts space weaves Old World architectural elegance with modern technology. Here, patrons can request material from the Milstein Stacks, the Library`s environmentally optimal storage facility located underneath Bryant Park with a capacity of over 4 million items. Visitors can also browse and read the thousands of reference volumes lining the shelves.After its renovation in 2016, The room now boasts a ceiling mural inspired by the three in the Rose Main Reading Room, opening the interior to a trompe l`oeil Parnassian sky.

The Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, commonly known as the Main Branch or the New York Public Library, is the flagship building in the New York Public Library system and a landmark in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The branch, one of four research libraries in the library system, contains nine separate divisions. The structure contains four stories open to the public. The main entrance steps are at Fifth Avenue at its intersection with East 41st Street. As of 2015, the branch contains an estimated 2.5 million volumes in its stacks.&nbsp; &nbsp;Exhibition space just behind the lobby. another exibition space on the third floor-- of the collection of prints and rare manuscripts

The steps remain empty during the lockdown spurred by the coronavirus  

Early on May 28, 2014. At two in the morning, one of the ceiling&amp;rsquo;s gilded-plaster rosettes suddenly fell to the floor, 50 feet below, shattering to pieces. On account of that errant 16-pound wreath, ironically a symbol of strength, the space was immediately closed off for repairs

New York Public Library, Manhattan Central Branch

The New York City Public Library Flagpole bases, created in 1912 by Thomas Hastings and Rafael Manconi, have been called the most beautiful in the country.  Also on the New York Public Library lions, nicknamed Patience and Fortitude, are so emblematic of the Library that they have been trademarked. They have work graduation caps and have been featured in many movies. There is a similar pair of Lions in front of the Morgan Library that the sculptor also made. The adornments on the facade of the library are called one of the most noteworthy examples of Beaux Arts architectural sculpture in the country.    

There are two statues in classical style located in the niches of the library entitled 'Truth' and 'Beauty'. These were created by Frederick MacMonnies in 1914-1920. Truth, the partially clad male figure, sits on a sphinx-the symbol of mystery.  And if you get a chance to go into the Library, be sure to check out the Richard Haas 2003 mural in the Dewitt Clinton Reading Room and the Edward Laning 1940 mural entitled 'The History of the Recorded Word."  Haas discusses his mural in the audio clip.

 Grand Army Plaza lies at the intersection of Central Park South and Fifth Avenue in front of the Plaza Hotel in Manhattan, New York City. It stretches from 60th to 58th streets between East Drive and Fifth Avenue. The plaza's northern half, carved out of the very southeasternmost corner of Central Park, has a golden equestrian statue of William Tecumseh Sherman designed by Augustus Saint-Gaudens. Sherman sits astride behind "Victory", her one hand holding a palm frond and the other pointing the way forward. Temporary sculpture exhibits are often mounted on this side of the plaza. The southern half features the Bitter-designed "Pulitzer Fountain" contributed by publisher Joseph Pulitzer. It is topped with a bronze statue of the Roman goddess Pomona, also designed by Bitter. The world-famous Plaza Hotel sits on the southwest corner of the plaza. 

Depicts from 61st Street south to the intersection of 58th street and 5th Avenue . Shows the planned ornamentation and redirection of traffic to accommodate the park drives. Shows the clock tower, the then proposed monument that now sits in front of the former Plaza Hotel and Bergdorf Goodman. Also depicts the locations of trees, the ponds, and various walkways. One of the poshest part of Manhattan, Grand Army Plaza. This map was published for inclusion in the 1869 13th Annual Report of the Commissioners of Central Park . On the Central Park: Vaux and Olmstead were awarded the task of designing Central Park in 1853 by the City Common Council. Olmstead&rsquo;s vision drove the overall design while Vaux concentrated his attentions on bridges, buildings, and other structures within the park. The creation of Central Park, which was to consist of some 800 acres of public forest, pathways, promenades, lakes, bridges, and meadows, was a seminal moment in civic urban design. The park itself was designed as a whole with every tree, pond, and bench meticulously planned. Olmstead wrote: &ldquo;Every foot of the parks surface, every tree and bush, as well as every arch, roadway, and walk and been placed where it is for a purpose.&rdquo;

Grand Army Plaza Manhattan

These two mansions (7 and 9 E. 72nd St) are the embodiment of sophisticated Parisian design. It features a grand facade with Ionic columns and a mansard roof. A five-story Beaux-Arts limestone mansion.&nbsp;Originally commissioned for Henry T. Sloane, the house later became home to several prominent families. Once occupied by wealthy, prominent New Yorkers of the late 19th century, they were bought by private school Lycée Français in 1964. &nbsp;In 2002, Qatar's government purchased it and combined it with the neighboring mansion at 7 East 72nd Street, creating New York City's largest single-family residence after extensive renovations in 2010.

Henry T. and Jessie Sloane House

With the formation of the Standard Oil Trust, the Corporation needed a suitable headquarters. &nbsp;A premiere location in Lower Manhattan on Broadway was purchased and the first 10 story building was designed. &nbsp;The building was expanded several times as the company grew larger.&nbsp;

The major expansion happened after World War 1. &nbsp;The site was expanded to encompass more of the block. &nbsp;The building is notable as one of the first skyscrapers erected after the adoption of the new zoning code. The distinctive tower, one of the southernmost spires in the Manhattan skyline is loosely based on the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, and was intended as a symbol of corporate power and a prominent element in the iconographic program of the building.

The original Standard Oil Building was only ten stories tall, but in 1895, Kimball &amp; Thompson added six new skeleton frame floors and a north extension to the building, making it 280 feet tall. - The Skyscraper Museum

The building is crowned with an aluminum finial which is supposed to represent a mythical Greek lamp of knowledge. &nbsp;According to the architect, it was the second time aluminum was used on a building; the first was the Washington Monument.&nbsp;

Photo shows Standard Oil Building (later Socony Oil Building), 26 Broadway, at Beaver Street, NYC. Elevated view; street below in shadow, 14-bay stone building with square tower at upper left; before Carrere &amp; Hastings' enlargement. Welles Building at lower right.

Photo shows the Standard Oil Building (later Socony Oil Building), 26 Broadway, at Beaver Street, NYC. Elevated vertical view with square at bottom center; Bowling Green and triangle of cars at lower left.

Standard Oil Building

This nautically-detailed building was used as a booking hall for Cunard's ocean liners.

Cunard Building

These larger-than-life granite statuary are located on the north and south pylons on the Manhattan Bridge. The figures represent the Spirit of Commerce and Spirit of Industry.Audrey Munson`s image on the Manhattan Bridge. &ldquo;All girls cannot be perfect 36s, with bodies of mystic warmth and plastic marble effect, colored with rose and a dash of flame,&rdquo; she wrote-Hiroko Masuike for The New York Times.With its eight lanes for train, horse-drawn and automobile traffic, it was designed to be a muscle, a working horse, a purely utilitarian structure. However, it caught the attention of the City Beautiful movement, and the Carr&egrave;re &amp; Hastings architectural firm was engaged to beautify the approaches to the bridge on both sides. The City Beautiful Movement, a reform philosophy in architecture and urban planning that flourished in the United States in the late 19th-early 20th cen. tury

Between Canal and Bowery on the Manhattan Bridge

Spirit of Commerce and Spirit of Industry

This suspension bridge, after a succession of designs were born and then rejected, was ultimately engineered by Gustav Lindenthal with architect Henry Hornbostel. The masterfully detailed metal ornaments as well as the Beaux Arts Manhattan side entry court are designed by Carrere and Hastings. While it is a predominantly a steel structure, the more overtly ornamental design of this third East River bridge was in part a response to the more purely functional character of the recently completed Williamsburg Bridge. With its eight lanes for train, horse-drawn and automobile traffic, it was designed to be a muscle, a working horse, a purely utilitarian structure. However, it caught the attention of the City Beautiful movement, and the Carrère &amp; Hastings architectural firm was engaged to beautify the approaches to the bridge on both sides.Carrère &amp; Hastings introduced its design in the Beaux-Arts style in 1910 and the plan was not only approved, but also lauded as the most artistic treatment of a bridge entrance attempted on this continent.The Manhattan end of the bridge featured a Beaux-Arts plaza with its signature arch and colonnade. The arch was modeled after Porte St. Denis in Paris, and the colonnade after Bernini's famous colonnade that encircles St. Peter`s Square in the Vatican.Arches were very popular in those days. The Manhattan Bridge arch is one of only three remaining in the city now (the other two are the Soldiers` and Sailors` Arch on Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn and the Washington Square Arch in Manhattan.)

The main span is 1,480 ft (451 m) long, with the suspension cables being 3,224 ft (983 m) long.  Patrick J. Cashin

It served as the model for many of the&nbsp;record-breaking spans&nbsp;built in the first half of the twentieth century.An innovative design, it was the first suspension bridge to employ Josef Melan's deflection theory for deck stiffening, resulting in the first use of a lightly-webbed weight-saving Warren truss Emily Nemens

 Crosses the East River in New York City, connecting Lower Manhattan at Canal Street with Downtown Brooklyn at the Flatbush Avenue Extension  Emily Nemens

Links Canal St. and the Bowery in Manhattan to the Flatbush Ave. Ext. in Brooklyn.

Manhattan Bridge

After a fire the interior was redesigned. &nbsp;The gold auditorium included the largest proscenium in America. &nbsp;The diamond horseshoe box seats were restored.&nbsp;

Not surprisingly the last performance was a Gala which brought out all the Met stars. &nbsp;

JC Cady won the design competition with a scheme that was functional, featured fireproof materials, and low construction costs. It also incorporated the newest engineering technologies, including electric lights, elevators, an iron cage for structural support, a sprinkler system for fire suppression, and a simple air conditioning system.When completed, it seated 3,700 people and was the largest opera house in the world.  Its four-story façade had matching seven-story towers with commercial establishments on the ground level, restaurants and ballrooms above, and apartments for bachelors in the upper levels. &nbsp;Very shortly after its construction, the Opera House became the see and be seen place for New Yorkers. &nbsp;Over the course of its life, there were several fires and some redecoration. &nbsp;The Metropolitan Opera Association flirted with demolition in 1938 but a concerted fundraising effort by the public saved the structure. The building was not so lucky thirty years later when the Landmarks Commission despite heroic efforts by the Citizen's Committee for the Preservation of Metropolitan Opera with champions of Governor Rockefeller and Mayor John Lindsay, voted not to designate it. &nbsp;

Old Metropolitan Opera House

Bryant Park is a 9.6-acre public park located in the New York City borough of Manhattan. Just blocks from Times Square and the Theater District and mere feet from the New York Public Library, the park is an ideal resting spot for the thousands of tourists and residents who pass by its boundaries each day. Highlights include the Benito Ju&aacute;rez Monument, the Gertrude Stein Statue, the Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe, the Jose Bonifacio De Andrada E Silva Statue, the Josephine Shaw Lowell Memorial Fountain and the William Earl Dodge sculpture. This European-style public park, with ample seating, a symmetrical design, and well-kept trees and lawns is watched over by a massive branch of the New York Public Library. The rehabilitation of the park recaptured a derelict public space by introducing amenities, careful interventions in the landscape and proper maintenance. To draw pedestrian traffic, hedges were removed and openings made in the central lawn's balustrade. New entrances and ramps to the north and south were added, and access points were altered to encourage easy visitation. The park is anchored by four neoclassical food kiosks and the grand-caf&eacute; style Bryant Park Grill and Caf&eacute;, allowing patrons to dine inside, outside and on a roof terrace. These amenities have become a permanent part of the New York Public Library's landscaped perimeter, unanimously approved by the Landmarks Commission and universally praised by visitors.

Bryant Park

A description of various artworks in and around Bryant Park.

 Jean Parker Phifer, NYC architect and author of Public Art New York, reads a selection about Bryant Park, discussing its renovation in the 1990s after its takeover by drug dealers during the 70s and 80s. 

Hugh Hardy of H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture discusses his work on the renovation of Bryant Park, from a drug-infested area to a clean and safe community area.

Jean Parker Phifer, NYC architect and author of Public Art New York, reads a selection about the William Cullen Bryant Memorial, a bronze statue located in Bryant Park.

Step below grade at the subway to check out the Arts for Transit work by Sam Kunce -Under Bryant Park' from 2002. According to the Arts for Transit website: -The artist based the project on the idea of systems. In her words, 'People travel the subway system, water and other utility services are delivered by pipes, and plants and trees that provide grace and softness against the city's sharper edges find their way to water and nutrients underground through a system of roots. In a similar way, literature is shared by systems of learning and lending, and many animals inhabit systems of burrows just as humans systematically divide portions of larger habitats above ground."

                                            
                                            
                                            
                                                 Cook+Fox Architects 
                                            
                                        

 Rick Cook discusses the development of the first green skyscraper in Times Square. 

To celebrate the richness of the public art around Grand Central, we put together a walking tour which is modeled on the acoustiguide you might get in a museum.  You can listen to the entire tour below, download it to your ipod, or just a section that interests you. In addition to our narrative, we also recorded Jean Parker Phifer reading excerpts from her book about Bryant Park and some of the sculptures found there and Richard Haas talking about some of the murals he has painted in the area.

Matthew Broderick reveals to us the hidden world of the chess tables, the players, and the strategies.

Matthew Broderick takes us back to his childhood, as well as introduces us to the German writer and poet Goethe.

Matthew Broderick invites us to observe the daily interplay between the City's movers and shakers at the Bryant Park Grill.

Matthew Broderick invites us to come meet him at Bryant Park, located in the heart of Midtown Manhattan.

Matthew Broderick helps us to see the park through the eyes of one of its most important and eloquent employees.

Matthew Broderick takes us back in time to an older New York, through the power of the written word.

Matthew Broderick shows us the philosophical path of most enjoyment, through the game of petanque.

Matthew Broderick gives us a new way to appreciate the relationship of the Park and the City. 

They formed a partnership, which lead to an abundance of important commissions

Carrere was killed in a car accident in 1911, and the firm closed a few years later when Hastings passed away.

Carrere &amp; Hastings was one of the premiere Beaux-Arts architectural firms during the early 20th century. Composed of John Merven Carrere and Thomas Hastings, both men were educated at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, and worked under McKim, Meade and White.&nbsp;

Carrere & Hastings

 The Stapleton Branch of The New York Public Library, which originally opened in 1907, is located on Canal Street, near the center of Stapleton Village and adjacent to Tappen Park and the Old Village Hall. The graceful, single story, brick and limestone building was constructed with funds provided by Andrew Carnegie. It was designed by Carr&egrave;re and Hastings. It was closed in 2010 for extensive expansion and renovations, and reopened in on June 11, 2013 to great fanfare. Today the Stapleton Branch continues to be a center of community life. The branch serves its diverse neighborhood by presenting programs for all ages, providing access to computer technology and lending books, magazines and other media to inform, educate, and entertain. 

Jean Parker Phifer, NYC architect and author of Public Art New York, reads a selection about the statue of Gertrude Stein, designed by Jo Davidson and located in Bryant Park.

Matthew Broderick takes us on a walk through Bryant Park, using the scenery and passersby as inspiration for creating memorable characters. 

Matthew Broderick breaks it down for us through a statistical collage: the facts and figures of Bryant Park.

Carrere & Hastings

SITES

PLAYLISTS CURATED by Carrere & Hastings