Hirschfeld on the Upper West Side: An Evening with David Leopold of the Al Hirschfeld Foundation
LIVE EVENT! Wednesday, April 23, 6-7:30pm, Church of St. Matthew and St. Timothy, 26 W. 84th Street
Landmark West! is honored to have David Leopold, creative director of the Al Hirschfeld Foundation and highly esteemed archivist, curator, and author, for a live evening brimming with the history and creativity of one of the greatest caricaturists of the twentieth century—Al Hirschfeld. Hirschfeld’s work is instantly recognizable. In his 82-year career, he captured thousands of Broadway and Hollywood greats in his signature calligraphic style.
For this exclusive event, celebrating Landmark West’s 40th Anniversary, Leopold assembles a magical multi-media presentation to tell Hirschfeld’s story through the people, places and productions related to the West Side—from Hell’s Kitchen to Morningside Heights. There will be drawings that we’ve never seen before, others that are beloved favorites. With Leopold as our generous guide, there will be backstories and personal tales of Hirschfeld’s life, art, and friendships with his many famous subjects.
Please join LW! for this intimate live evening with David Leopold, following the line of the legendary pen of Al Hirschfeld across the Upper West Side. Following the program, the Al Hirschfeld Foundation will present a gallery of Hirschfeld artwork for sale to benefit LW! 40th Anniversary event co-sponsored by the Church of St. Matthew and St. Timothy.
Iconic Views of Central Park Walking Tour
LIVE WALK! Thursday, May 1, 6-7:30pm, Central Park Mall
On May 1, we’re heading to the park to join experienced former Central Park Conservancy guide Catherine Fredman for a custom walking tour exploring the very origins of the park.
As we stroll up the iconic Mall, we’ll follow the history of the people and the ideas behind the design and creation of Central Park, the first purpose-built public park in the United States. Why did New York City need a public park? Why was this space chosen? What was so unique about Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux’s Greensward Plan? Was everything we see today there from the beginning?
Join us for the first LW! walking tour of the spring to view the park as it was first imagined, and see why Vaux declared it a space with “Nature first, second and third—architecture after a while.”
This tour begins at the Dairy (just north of Wollman Rink), wanders up the Mall and ends at Bethesda Terrace. We’ll spend around 90 minutes, plus time for all your questions for our dazzling guide. LW! uses museum-tour style “whisper” tech earphones, so you can listen in comfort as we stroll.
The Art and Architecture of Jewish Affluence: The Synagogues of New York’s Upper West Side
LIVE! Wednesday, May 7, 7-8:15pm at Congregation Rodeph Sholom, 7 West 83rd Street
FREE event! Registration Required.
LW! invites all to a FREE, in-person illustrated lecture by noted historian Dr. Samuel Gruber in honor of LW’s 40th Anniversary as the preservation organization of the Upper West Side.
In the century following World War I, New York City’s Jewish communities sponsored a wealth of Jewish architecture, with many of the large and often ornate synagogues designed by Jewish architects.
Dr. Gruber—a leader in the preservation of historic Jewish sites worldwide—will examine the development and design of approximately a dozen synagogues on the Upper West Side serving all the major branches of Judaism. He’ll explore what the buildings have in common, how they differ, and what role three generations of Jewish architects had in shaping Jewish identity.
Graciously co-sponsored by Congregation Rodeph Sholom.
2025 Mayoral Candidates Forum with Preservation Organizations
When: [PAST] Monday, March 24, via Zoom
WATCH RECORDING
Landmark West! and fellow preservation organizations from across NYC are hosting a forum via Zoom with Mayoral candidates on Monday, March 24 at 6 pm. This is the ONLY Mayoral candidate forum focused on preservation and development issues, and we strongly urge you to attend — to learn more about the candidates, and to let them know that New Yorkers care about preserving our city and our neighborhoods.
This is one of the most important Mayoral elections in memory. Our city is at a turning point, and powerful forces are pushing unprecedented measures to deregulate development in our city and roll back longstanding landmark and zoning protections. The next occupant of City Hall will shape our city and our neighborhoods for generations.
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
