The Office for Metropolitan History and the Legacy of Christopher Gray
Thursday, May 2nd, 6pm via Zoom
In 1975, architectural educator, researcher, and writer Christopher Gray founded the Office of Metropolitan History as a repository and resource on the architectural history of New York City buildings.
Today, that legacy is overseen by Sam Hightower, building detective, blueprint wrangler, and the Director of the OMH. Hightower gifts all fans of NYC architectural history this special evening, beginning with a rare insider’s virtual view of some of the OMH’s archive of 18,000 photographs, 40,000 photographic negatives and 8,000 architectural drawings, many dating back to the late 19th century.
We’ll then be treated to a journey of architectural discovery as Hightower walks us through the research behind some of Gray’s beloved New York Times “Streetscapes” columns of Upper West Side buildings. Bonus: a sneak peak into Hightower’s soon-to-launch Substack newsletter, “Met Misc,” that will revisit Gray’s writing and research, highlight gems in the OMH archives, and much more.
A program not to be missed!
Have you “Herd”: The Nivola Horses Are Back!
Tuesday, May 7th, 6pm via Zoom
Italian sculptor Costantino Nivola’s 18 cast-concrete horse sculptures made in 1965 for Stephen Wise Towers are back! Uber conservators Mary Jablonski and Ed FitzGerald will tell the incredible story of how they recreated the beloved herd and returned it to its UWS home.
The horses, while beloved by the kids who rode them in countless play scenarios and the adults who appreciated Nivola’s deeply thoughtful approach to a plaza with specific areas for play and relaxation, definitely took some knocks through the decades. When a water main break flooded the plaza in 2021, the Nivola herd suffered major casualties. They were unceremoniously cut off of their plaza home and carted away.
But these horses did not head into the sunset, never to be seen again. Their story is one of renewal and return, and Landmark West! is excited to have two of the conservators who helped to bring back the Nivola horses, Mary Jablonski and Ed FitzGerald, share the process of researching these public artworks and the many steps of conservation involved in returning them to their plaza and community.
The Opulent Apartment Houses of The Boulevard VIDEO
This event has passed, but a link to the full 1.25 hour video can be purchased below.
The Ansonia, the Belleclaire, the Dorilton, the Belnord, the Apthorp: five of the finest apartment hotels of “The Boulevard” on the Upper West Side. It was the turn of a new century and people like William Waldorf Astor and William Earl Dodge Stokes had a vision for a new way of living. They imagined the well-to-do living, hotel-style, in gracious apartments flanking a fashionable boulevard similar to the Champs-Élysées in Paris. (This explains why the first three of the above were so French in style.)
Historian Tom Miller (aka The Daytonian in Manhattan blogger) takes us along The Boulevard, circa the heyday of these impressive and aspirational buildings. Tiptoeing past the vigiliant doormen of the day, we’ll gawk at the courtyards, architecture and ornamentation; delve into the stories of some of the more colorful residents; and revel in the apartments’ upscale and innovative amenities.
Only Murders In The Building: Staging the Scene of the Crime VIDEO
This event has passed, but a link to the full 1.5 hour video can be purchased below
A murder. A trio of neighbors-turned-crime investigators-turned-podcasters. A landmarked building. A perfect evening! If you’ve been pulled into the whodunnit world inside the luxe Arconia building (aka the Belnord on the UWS), you can’t miss this “how-dunnit” special event.
Emmy-winning Production Designer Curt Beech and Set Decorator Rich Murray and Art Director Jordan Jacobs from the hit Hulu show Only Murders In The Building will share their secrets on everything from scouting the perfect NYC building for this caper of capers to creating the entire glittering world within.
OMITB fans have been gushing over the lavish and eclectic interior set design crafted by our über-talented speakers that has made the fictional Arconia a full-fledged cast member. That courtyard! The lobby! Even the elevator! And of course, the unbelievable rambling pre-war apartments for each character: maximalist Oliver, sophisticated & quirky Charles, inscrutable Mabel and a host of others (no spoilers). Hear how every detail, color palette, texture and style were carefully curated to create a set that feels real and wholly New York City.
The Historic Districts Council and Landmark West! invite you in for an evening to peek behind the designer curtains (there will be photos!) of one of the most popular series that also features one of our city’s finest landmarks!
Holding the Safety Net in San Juan Hill VIDEO
Wednesday, January 25th 6-7pm via Zoom
Please join Landmark West! and architectural historian Jessica Larson in this exploration of the ways in which Black charity and reform initiatives shaped the landscape of San Juan Hill, the community Robert Moses demolished to make way for the Lincoln Center for the Perforning Arts complex, in the early decades of the 20th century. Larson will focus in on the architecture of the buildings constructed to facilitate this social work, and together we will look at how the built environment of San Juan Hill was shaped by community-driven efforts to address poverty and improve the quality of life for the residents. Because charity work was deeply gendered, Larson will emphasize the significance of women to the spatial and welfare programs of the neighborhood.
Speaker Jessica Larson is a Ph.D. candidate in Art and Architectural History at the CUNY Graduate Center. Her dissertation examines the architecture of charitable and reform institutions built in Manhattan for Black aid recipients between the Civil War and World War I, with a focus on how women reformers directed to these designs. She has held fellowships with the American Council of Learned Societies, the New York Public Library’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, and the Library of Congress. She has also worked for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Princeton University Art Museum, and the Bruce Museum. Jessica is currently a Fellow at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Museum of American History.
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Looking for VIDEOS of past LW programs? LW! Members have free access HERE with passcode!
Need the passcode? Email us at Landmarkwest@Landmarkwest.org – all recordings are available for free viewing for members
