Rebuilding Central Park: A Management and Restoration Plan

Book Description

Central Park's legacy is unique. It was America's first great open space designed specifically for public use, inspiring the creation of hundreds of other municipal parks across the nation and spawning the profession of landscape architecture in the United States. This plan for the restoration, conservation, and management of the Park is the most comprehensive program of research, restoration, and management ever applied to a great historic landscape. It is significant in its broad concept of curatorship and provides a model for approaching and carrying out any work of scenic restoration; several of the projects it advocates to reverse the Park's steady decline are in progress or have already been completed.

Illustrated throughout with 2-color and tinted maps and drawings and numerous photographs, Rebuilding Central Park is the first close examination of these invaluable 843 acres in more than a century. It unfolds a masterful design and management plan to overcome the effects of years of city budget cuts, natural aging, and human use and abuse.

The book opens with a discussion of the principles and philosophy of the original design by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux and a history of the Park's management. It assesses the Park's distinct but interrelated systems - circulation, topography, vegetation, and wildlife - and presents a sector-by-sector analysis of 21 project areas. Problems and their causes are discussed on every level as are proposals for solving them.

Sections of the book take up the restoration of such historic structures as the cast-iron bridges, stone arches and Victorian Gothic Belvedere and Dairy, which were features of the original Olmsted design; and the conservation of such varied landscapes as the Ramble, the East Meadow, the Great Hill, and Strawberry Fields. Maps reveal the kinds and pace of park activities, patterns of circulation - drives, paths, trails, lighting and visitor amenities - ground plans, vegetation, and historic and present tree canopy as well as the Park rebuilt. There are many recommendations, including recommendations for maintenance and security.

A separate chapter describes the methodology used for approaching and carrying out this, and any other, major work of landscape restoration.

Elizabeth Barlow Rogers is the Administrator of Central Park and the author of several books on park and landscape history. John Berendt is former editor of New York magazine.

Customer Reviews:

One of the best books I own.......2007-02-27

When I first saw this book in my college bookstore as an undergrad in 1987, I picked it up several times before I decided not to buy it because a) I wasn't an architect and b) I was a broke student. Happily about ten years later I found it in a used bookstore for about 12 dollars. I snapped it up. In the next ten years it's value has not diminished at all. It remains one of my most treasured books.

It covers the restoration of Frederick Law Olmstead's Central Park from it's deep decline in the late 70's onward. It utilizes a monochromatic printing scheme (green) to present/highlight information. After perhaps a hundre pages on data, the parks decline & restoration strategies, the book switches to a geographical format that takes you through the entire park one grove/program/feature at a time. These chapters utilize a keymap that helps you identify and progress through an understanding of every single element in Central Park. It uses small multiples (An Edward Tufte concept) to indicate changes, and fill in your knowledge.

At whatever the cost this is a gracious giveaway of information. It is certainly not a sexy treatment of the topic, but if you love information and design, you will love this book. There are some books that you love beyond all reason. This is one of them.

Rebuilding Central Park : A Management and Restoration Plan

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Rebuilding Central Park : A Management and Restoration Plan
Elizabeth B.; Cramer, Marianne; Heintz, Judith; Kelly, Bruce; Winslow, Philip N. Rogers
Manufacturer: The MIT Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OR735E

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Great Brook

Covers well over 150 years of photography

Singular Images
Darsie Alexander , Roger Hargreaves , Liz Jobey , Mary Warner Marien , Sheena Wagstaff , Dominic Willsdon , Geoffrey Batchen , David Campany , Nigel Warburton , Val Williams , and Martin Parr
Manufacturer: Aperture
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Goldin, Nan | ( G-I ) | Artists, A-Z | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Criticism & Essays | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Photo Essays | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1597110175
Release Date: 2006-02-01

Book Description

Spanning 170 years, from William Henry Fox Talbot's first negative to Jeff Wall's latest constructed tableau, Singular Images collects thought-provoking essays on individual photographs, one image per writer. The essayists consider, sometimes in highly personal ways, the artist's intention, their own response, the work's technical complexities, its historical context or its formal properties. Each text captures a sense of how challenging it is to create a perfect single piece. Art photography has been increasingly well-surveyed in recent years, but individual works have rarely been written about at length, perhaps because of lingering doubt that a single photograph can command the kind of sustained attention often given to individual paintings or sculptures. Singular Images is a lively inquiry into the value of analyzing individual photographs, and it persuasively encourages the reader to engage at length and in depth with one remarkable piece at a time. With its broad scope and diverse range of issues, it can also be read as an informal--and thoroughly entertaining--introduction to art photography. Featuring essays by some of the most brilliant critical minds in the field, including David Campany on Man Ray and Marcel Duchamp, Darsie Alexander on Nan Goldin and Liz Jobey on Diane Arbus.

Customer Reviews:

Great Brook.......2007-04-01

Great book with interesting approches on the images.
I'm glad to have it.

Covers well over 150 years of photography.......2006-09-09

Singular Images: Essays On Remarkable Photographs covers well over 150 years of photography, from Talbot's first negative to the latest changes in photographic art. Essays collect analysis of individual photos however, not the genre as a whole, focusing on a single image's achievements and exploring artist intention, technical and historical background, and the artistic community's response. Black and white photos blend with in-depth analysis to show what makes an achievement exceptional in the photography field.

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Singular Images
Ansel Adams
Manufacturer: Little Brown & Co (P)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Collections, Catalogues & Exhibitions | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0821207288

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Ansel Adams - Singular Images
Ansel Adams
Manufacturer: Morgan & Morgan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Ansel Adams Singular Images
Edwin Land
Manufacturer: Dobbs Ferry NY Morgan & Morgan 1974.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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An interesting look into the early years of an artist
A great book from an up-and-coming photographer

Ireland: Singular Images
Donovan Wylie
Manufacturer: Andre Deutsch Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Collections, Catalogues & Exhibitions | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0233988998

Customer Reviews:

An interesting look into the early years of an artist.......1999-06-24

Donovan Wylie's Ireland: Singular Images is a book of photographs from his initial travels in his native Ireland in the late 1980s. He published the book in 1994 after he had become associated with Magnum Photos. Wylie was 23 when the book was printed and is now 28. The book offers an interesting look into the early years of a Magnum photographer, but neither the book nor the photographs are first rate when compared to works by Sebastiao Salgado or fellow Magnum members Josef Koudelka or Gilles Peress. The photographs are indeed innocent and are not the work of a seasoned photographer. Wylie's latest book, Losing Ground, published in 1997 by Fouth Estate Press of London is a more successful effort, and more clearly shows his photographic ability. However, the book does not seem to be available through book sellers and I bought my copy directly through Magnum in New York. Although Ireland: Singular Images is not a must see, it is quite impressive to think that Wylie has published five books so far, and his introduction does offer interesting information about his young life.

A great book from an up-and-coming photographer.......1998-01-06

"Singular Images" is a delightfully simple photographic exploration of Ireland made by young Donovan Wylie. His pictures are graceful and poetic, yet they have a definite solidity about them...an air that is quite of the essence of the Magnum Photo Agency, of which he is a part. At the early age of 16, he made the pictures in this book; pictures that many seasoned professionals would trip over themselves trying to create. This body of Wylie's work has a sense of innocence, and it's apparent through these marvelous photographs. The photographs themselves have a definite "street" feel. His wanderings take him all over the place, but his pictures have a beautiful coherency. They are merely gritty, black and white documents of his travels. One thing is for sure, this Gen-X photographer has a bright future ahead of him. At the age of 21, he was made a nominee of the Magnum Photo Agency, then an associate member two years later. In many ways, he is the future of what Magnum will be. Keep an eye on this lad, he's the next in a long line of photographers from the Magnum Agency, whose members include Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Capa, Elliot Erwitt, Bruce Davidson, Eugene Richards, Gilles Peress, James Nachtwey...just to name a few.

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A Singular People: Images of Zoar
Kathleen M. Fernandez
Manufacturer: Kent State University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Kathleen M. Fernandez. A Singular People: Images of Zoar.(Book Review): An article from: Utopian Studies

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Kathleen M. Fernandez. A Singular People: Images of Zoar.(Book Review): An article from: Utopian Studies
Philip E. Webber
Manufacturer: Society for Utopian Studies
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Utopian Studies, published by Society for Utopian Studies on January 1, 2004. The length of the article is 495 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Kathleen M. Fernandez. A Singular People: Images of Zoar.(Book Review)
Author: Philip E. Webber
Publication: Utopian Studies (Refereed)
Date: January 1, 2004
Publisher: Society for Utopian Studies
Volume: 15 Issue: 1 Page: 113(1)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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Ireland Singular Images
Donovan Wylie
Manufacturer: Andre Deutsch Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OPZMJK

Singular Images: A collection of Polaroid land photographs

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Singular Images: A collection of Polaroid land photographs
Ansel Adams
Manufacturer: Little, Brown and Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Customer Reviews:

Lackluster sequel to a classic storyline.......2006-07-19

1992's Amazing Spider-Man: Soul of the Hunter prestige format one-shot serves as a sequel of sorts to the acclaimed Kraven's Last Hunt storyline that ran through the regular Spider-Man titles a few years earlier.

In Soul of the Hunter, Peter Parker is still haunted by the events of Kraven's Last Hunt, namely his being buried alive for two weeks and Kraven's subsequent suicide. In addition to Peter's internal torment, he is visited by none other than Kraven's ghost, seeking some form of forgiveness and absolution.

Personally, I think revisiting this classic storyline was a bad idea, but there are ways to make it work. If the book dealt strictly with Peter's internal struggle, then it might have made more sense (though as a comic it might have been a bit too boring). By adding the supernatural elements (Spidey vs. Kraven's moldering corpse under the watchful eye of a spectral Grim Reaper), it just muddies the issue. The end result has Peter coming to terms with his ordeal and death in general, but from a reader's point of view the ending was unsatisfactory and didn't seem to resolve anything.

The fact that the book boasts artwork by Mike Zech should have been its saving grace. Instead, Zeck's artwork seems uninspired, especially compared to his mood-setting work on the original Kraven's Last Hunt issues. Some of his panels had an almost Watchmen-like quality, but the action scenes in particular seemed lifeless.

Overall, Soul of the Hunter is a disappointing follow-up to a classic storyline. Like Frank Millers ill-advised Dark Knight Strikes Again, it reinforces the old adage "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

SEQUAL TO GREATNESS.......2005-11-01

So soul of the hunter, not really as good as Kraven's last hunt, but still a wonderful tale. It deals with the views of ol' pete parker after the events of kraven's last hunt. I don't care what the reason the book was made, there where some rumblings that it was just to show suicide isn't honorable and such, but the things that happened in last hunt had to be adressed. THis book is a take it or leave it in term of importance in spidey's life, but definatley a good read.

A poor sequel to one of the greatest comics of all time........1998-07-15

Kraven's Last Hunt was a masterpiece. It was a tale of a man's obsession that eventually led to his suicide. After that story, there was a good deal of negative response from people thinking the story was glorifying suicide. In response, Marvel had the creative team responsible for Kraven's Last Hunt write this sequel, and it stinks! All it is, is a story saying how suicide is bad. It is cheap, and I recomend you go buy Kraven's Last Hunt (Fearful Symmetry) instead.

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