• Gorman Playground - East Elmhurst NY
    Gorman playground at 84th St. and 25th Ave. in the East Elmhurst neighborhood of Queens was one of five “model playgrounds” designed as templates for further playground development by Robert Moses and his team after Moses assumed control of the New York City Parks Department in 1934. According to a Department press release announcing the opening, when Gorman Playground, then named "Jackson Heights Model Playground," opened in 1934 it contained a: "Recreation building containing a large play room, lavatories, mothers room, directors' room and storage space. The rear wall of the recreation building will be used for 4 handball courts. The...
  • One Room Schoolhouse Park Playground - East Elmhurst NY
    The NYC Parks website explains that the park's name comes from the fact that "Queens’ last one-room schoolhouse occupied this site from the time of its construction in 1879 until its demolition to make room for a public park in 1934." The press release announcing the opening of the playground within the park in December 1935 explained that it, and the other 12 playgrounds opened on the same day, collectively contained: "88 small swings; 72 large swings; 36 seesaws; 14 playhouses; 15 large slides; 11 sand tables; 10 garden swings; 7 small slides; 7 small tables; 6 handball courts; 6 jungle...
  • P.S. 127 Aerospace Science Magnet - East Elmhurst NY
    Located in East Elmhurst, Public School (P.S.) 127 serves students from pre-kindergarten through grade 8. The PWA allocated $109,232 in grant money to the construction of the building, which was completed February 1937.
  • Riker's Island Library Mural (missing) - East Elmhurst NY
    "Beginning in 1936, Alland supervised the Photo-Mural Section of the Federal Art Project. He installed photo-murals at the Newark Public Library (1936) and at the Riker's Island Penitentiary library (1937)."   (https://dlib.nyu.edu) The Riker's Island mural, entitled "Approach to Manhattan" was designed specifically for the prison. As Alland's submission statement explained: "The subject of this photomural utilizes the familiar aspects of the normal and happy family in the City. The main purpose of this decoration, besides that of relieving the monotony and changing the aspects of a huge prison hall, into a livable library, where those prisoners who have gained the privilege through...
  • Rikers Island WPA Murals - East Elmhurst NY
    "Ben Shahn's WPA mural planned for the Rikers Island Penitentiary mess hall was rejected in 1935, the year the prison opened. Harold Lehman's WPA mural "Man's Daily Bread" was mounted there instead circa 1936 but was removed decades later. Thus in a sense, both the planned Shahn mural and the actual Lehman mural could be counted as two murals "missing" in Rikers Island Penitentiary WPA art history. Considerably worse for wear but not missing is a third Rikers Island Penitentiary WPA mural: Anton Refregier's "Home and the Family." Its presence enhances the historic landmark character of NYC's oldest structure in continuous correction-related use. In 1937...