Bryant Park in 1935
People in Bryant Park in 1935, shortly after its reopening. This is the New Deal design of the park layout.
Description
Bryant Park was redesigned and rebuilt between 1933 and 1935 with the help of New Deal funding and Civil Works Administration labor. The project was supervised by the Parks Department, led at the time by Robert Moses. The central role of the New Deal in the reconstruction of the park has received little recognition, with most of the credit going to Moses’ Parks Department. Yet, New Deal support was substantial. Moses himself stated for the NewYork Times that “[…] the projects of 1934, with the exception of the parkways, were done almost entirely with relief labor,” mentioning the reconstruction of Bryant park as an important milestone of that year. In addition, funding for the park redesign came from the federal government, not the Parks Department. As noted in an essay published by Frank da Cruz in the Kermit Project, the park design and planting plan were created with the help of architect Aymar Embury II and landscape architect Gilmore D. Clarke, both paid by the federal government. For a detailed discussion see Frank da Cruz, Kermit Project, Bryant Park in Manhattan.
“[T]he entire park’s landscaping was raised four feet from street level; the park was bordered by granite walls and wrought-iron fences with stairways at the entrances; the interior was divided into a central green and periphery of shaded walkways and sitting areas; a massive stone fountain was moved from one end of the park to the other; a new infrastructure of power, lighting, drinking fountains, and drainage was installed; the old comfort station was rehabilited and reopened after being closed for decades.”
During his tenure as Parks Commissioner, Robert Moses used New Deal funding and labor to build public park facilities, yet rarely credited the New Deal agencies that supported the projects. Because he prohibited the placement of New Deal plaques and corner stones, we have few sources that tie public parks in New York to New Deal agencies. However, several of Moses’ statements reveal that during the 1930s most of the financial support and labor for New York parks and Parks Department staff came from federal funding. For a detailed discussion see Frank da Cruz, Kermit Project, New Deal Assistance in NYC Parks Department Projects, 1934-43
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Aerial view of Bryant Park circa 1940
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ryant Park service building entrance
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Bryant Park service building at the corner of Sixth Avenue and West 40th Street
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Original New Deal granite walls (height reduced later), iron fencing, and steps.
Bryant Park entrance on West 42nd Street
Original New Deal granite walls (height reduced later), iron fencing, and steps.
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Bryant Park green, looking towards Sixth Avenue
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William Cullen Bryant Memorial
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Restored and repaired under the supervision of Karl Gruppe, chief sculptor of the NYC Parks Department/s Monument Restoration Project, funded during this period by the Public Works Art Project and the WPA.
William Cullen Bryant Memorial
Restored and repaired under the supervision of Karl Gruppe, chief sculptor of the NYC Parks Department/s Monument Restoration Project, funded during this period by the Public Works Art Project and the WPA.
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Plaque for a public-private partnership, 1980-92
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Bryant Park, New Deal paving, steps, and balustrade.
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The Bryant Park Sixth Avenue entrance at West 41st Street.The fountain was moved here from the other side of the park as part of the New Deal reconstruction, and also restored and repaired under the supervision of Karl Gruppe, chief sculptor of the NYC Parks Department/s Monument Restoration Project, funded during this period by the Public Works Art Project and the WPA.
The Josephine Shaw Lowell Fountain
The Bryant Park Sixth Avenue entrance at West 41st Street.The fountain was moved here from the other side of the park as part of the New Deal reconstruction, and also restored and repaired under the supervision of Karl Gruppe, chief sculptor of the NYC Parks Department/s Monument Restoration Project, funded during this period by the Public Works Art Project and the WPA.
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Trees Planted in 1934
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Walls, fences, and steps that were installed by the New Deal in 1934.
Bryant Park Sixth Avenue
Walls, fences, and steps that were installed by the New Deal in 1934.
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Bryant Park in 1983
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This photo shows the New Deal-built stairs, walls, and iron fencing that are still in place today (2018) Source: Shorpy.com.
Bryant Park on Sixth Avenue in 1948
This photo shows the New Deal-built stairs, walls, and iron fencing that are still in place today (2018) Source: Shorpy.com.
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Aerial view of Bryant Park circa 1934
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Aerial view of Bryant Park circa 1934
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Bryant Park under construction circa 1934
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Bryant Park under construction circa 1934
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Bryant Park in 1934
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Bryant Park under construction, 4 May 1934
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Bryant Park under construction circa 1934
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Bryant Park before the reconstruction. The park is on the same level as the street and there are no fences, walls, hedges, or steps
Bryant Park in 1931
Bryant Park before the reconstruction. The park is on the same level as the street and there are no fences, walls, hedges, or steps
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Bryant Park after reconstruction, in 1935
Source notes
Bryant Park in Manhattan, Frank da Cruz, Kermit Project, 2018, (https://kermitproject.org/newdeal/bryantpark/index.html), accessed May 17, 2018.
Bryant Park, (https://bryantpark.org/index.html), accessed May 9, 2018.
Kermit Project, New Deal Assistance in NYC Parks Department Projects, 1934-43, (https://kermitproject.org/newdeal/parksprojects.html#commentary), accessed May 9, 2018.
"Parks Promises Kept", New York Times, 31 Dec 1934.
Project originally submitted by Frank da Cruz on May 18, 2018.
We welcome contributions of additional information on any New Deal project site.
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